AI Structured Summary
Not yet generated for this judgment
Judgment
This Original Application is registered suo-motu on the basis of the news item titled "Fire breaks out at Vellalore landfill in Coimbatore" appearing in The Hindu dated 07.04.2024. The news item relates to the eruption of a fire at the open dump yard, near the vermicompost centre, located within Vellalore landfill premises in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. As per the news item there is a landfill of about 2 acres which had engulfed in fire and the gravity of situation was such that a force comprising of 15 fire tenders including units from Coimbatore, Erode and Tiruppur district were deployed to combat the flames and over 100 fireman and support personnel were engaged in the firefighting operation. The news item reflects that over 200 tonnes of legacy waste ablaze at the yard and the nature of mixed waste lying there had raised concern about the release of harmful pollutants in the air and soil.
The news item raises substantial issue relating to compliance of the environmental norms.
Power of the Tribunal to take up the matter suo-motu has been recognized by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the matter of “Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai vs. Ankita Sinha & Ors.” reported in 2021 SCC Online SC 897.
Hence, we implead the following as respondents in this OA:
(i) Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), through its Member Secretary
(ii) Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), through its Member Secretary
(iii) Commissioner, Corporation of Coimbatore
(iv) District Collector/District Magistrate, Coimbatore
Respondent No. 1 to 3 is represented through the counsel and they have sought for four weeks’ time to file their response before the appropriate bench of the Tribunal. Let notice be issued to Respondent No. 4 for filing the response.
Since the matter relates to the Southern Zonal Bench, Chennai, therefore, OA is transferred to the Southern Zonal Bench for appropriate further action. Office is directed to transfer the original record of the OA to Southern Zonal Bench, Chennai.
List before Southern Zonal Bench at Chennai on 28.05.2024.