http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/03/stories/2008040359880300.htm

Harming environment: Scenes of garbage burning in Perungudi may soon become a thing of the past. —
CHENNAI: Besides directing the State Government to remove all encroachments on the Pallikaranai marshlands, the Madras High Court has directed the Chennai Corporation not to permit the four municipalities — Pallavaram, Madipakkam, Kottivakkam and Valasaravakkam — to dump garbage at Perungudi after April 30.
The First Bench comprising Chief Justice A. P. Shah and Justice Prabha Sridevan clarified that the Corporation could proceed with tenders for selecting a private developer for setting up the Integrated Municipal Solid Waste Processing Facility at Perungudi.
Passing interim orders on two writ petitions, the Bench said the State Government should not permit any construction activity on the marshlands. The court appointed a six-member expert committee, with Sheela Rani Chunkath, Chairperson, TIIC, as its convener to inspect the Perungudi Municipal Solid Waste Yard, CMWSSB treatment plant and the surrounding areas and submit a report regarding the suitability of the present site for usage and the continuance as a municipal solid waste ground and sewage treatment plant; to review compliance of various legislations, guidelines, rules and regulations in relation to dumping of solid waste and discharge of sewage; to review the earlier studies done by various agencies, and the measures taken and proposed to protect the Pallikaranai marsh and render suggestions for restoration and protection of the marsh.
The committee would also suggest measures for remediation of the land, ground water, flora and fauna in the marsh and Seevaram, Pallikaranai, Thoraipakkam and Perungudi villages. It would also consider the cumulative aspects of dumping of garbage, discharge of sewage and conversion of the marshlands to other use and suggest scientific alternative methods of dumping of garbage and discharge of sewage in the light of the methods in other countries.
The committee would conduct public hearing to ascertain the views of the residents of the four villages. The report should be made within six months, the Bench said.
Pending receipt of the report, the Chennai Corporation was directed not to permit their trucks to dump garbage on either side of the road and to remove the garbage already dumped on either side of 60 Feet Road abutting the residential areas and also the 200 feet road, within four weeks. It should demarcate the area of 200 acres which had been allotted to it by CMWSSB and further demarcate 106 acres which was actually used for dumping waste. Security at the dumping site should be increased to prevent incidents of fire. Appropriate scheme for segregating biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes should be evolved and submitted to the court within three months.
The petitioners, including Hyder Ali of Mannady, submitted that in the early 1980s the CMWSSB permitted the Chennai Corporation to dump waste at Perungudi, which today along with Kodungaiyur was a major recipient of Chennai’s solid waste. Adjacent to the dump site is a sewage treatment plant of CMWSSB. The area was low-lying with water-logging. The area was a flood plain holding stormwater runoff in the region ensuring that the surrounding low-lying areas were not inundated during monsoon.
Following a court order, the Advocate-Commissioner submitted his report on Perungudi landfill and sewage treatment plant in June 1999. The Commissioner recorded the consultant reports that there was a constant dumping of industrial and biomedical waste at the site. The Commissioner reported there was water-logging within the dump site and surrounding low-level areas and untreated sewage from the sewage treatment plant flowed along the dump site. He reported that he witnessed fires at a few places on the dump site.
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board in its report in respect of the landfill at Perungudi submitted that the Chennai Corporation had not complied with the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000.
The Bench directed the Corporation to submit an action taken report within three months. The matter has been adjourned to June 30.