| Taking suo moto cognizance of an Express report about the illegal construction by unknown groups on the Kovalam estuary in Kancheepuram, the National Green Tribunal ordered the Kancheepuram district administration to ensure the stoppage of all such illegal activity in the Muttukadu area with immediate effect and file a status report on the issue. On Wednesday Express reported massive encroachment on the Kovalam estuary near Muttukadu by unknown groups that had put the sensitive coastal ecosystem in danger. Heavy machinery had been used to dump debris in the area. Taking cognizance of this report, the Southern Bench comprising judicial member Justice P Jyothimani and expert member Professor R Nagendran said that an estuary was as important as the sea, if not more, given the sensitive ecology. The bench said the current case was yet another instance of an attempt to destroy a serene ecosystem through encroachment. The pictures that accompanied the report showed the use of heavy machinery in the illegal construction. Therefore, given that the matter involved great public interest, the bench took cognizance of the Express report and issued an interim stay on any such activity in the Muttukadu area till further orders. The bench also made it clear that the duty of ensuring total implementation of the order was with the Collector, who was also asked to file a status report on the issue by the next hearing on August 6. The bench issued notices to the Union Ministry of Environment, the Secretary of Environment and Forests of Tamil Nadu, the Director of Environment, the Member Secretary of the TNPCB and the Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority returnable by the next hearing.  via Science - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNH2M4aJL1pzN8UVB4XQ3YN6ACDK2A&url=http://newindianexpress.com/education/student/NGT-orders-illegal-activity-to-stop-protect-sensitive-ecosystem/2013/08/01/article1711607.ece | |||
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