NGT threatens to recover project costs from government staff

Chennai: Reminding government staff of the implications of dereliction of duty, the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal on Monday  threatened to recover the project cost of an “illegal” bio-methanation plant from the salary of Pallavaram municipality commissioner.

The illegality of the structure built in Zamin Pallavaram was exposed after the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) submitted an affidavit to a plaint filed by one N. Krishnan of Zamin Royapettah in Chromepet that the local body had not sought and did not receive consent for setting up the plant from the board.

Passing interim orders on the petition, the bench comprising Justice P. Jothimani and expert member R. Nagendra, said it was “unacceptable” that the municipality went ahead and completed 90 per cent of the work without even filing for consent from the Pollution Control Board.

“We can order for demolition of the structure and recover taxpayer’s money from the officials, including the commissioner, for overlooking the norms,” the bench observed.

The bench also questioned the TNPCB as to why no action was initiated from its side against the municipality officials.  The plant has the capacity to treat around five tonnes of food and vegetable waste every day and generate methane gas, which will be used to power 850 streetlights in the locality.

Making things worse, the petitioner had stated that revenue authorities had helped encroachment of the Puthery lake, on which the plant has come up, by granting pattas in violation of G.O. No. 71 of the rural development department dated 16.06.2003.