Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding Buckingham Canal pollution, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 30/04/2024
Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of News item titled "Buckingham Canal remains choked with garbage, sewage" appearing in The Times of India dated 19.02.2024 dated 30/04/2024.
The Original Application is registered suo-motu on the basis of the news item titled "Buckingham Canal remains choked with garbage, sewage" appeared in The Times of India dated February 19, 2024.
The news item related to the clogging of Buckingham canal in Chennai with plastic waste and sewage flowing in from storm water drains. The news item disclosed that the original depth of the canal should be 6 feet below sea level but due to silt and sewage pilling up it is now only 3 feet above the sea level.
As per the news item a bed of waste including plastic, thermocol, rubber and wrapper, blocks the channel for a stretch of 100 metres near Chepauk MRTS station. The piling up of the sewage leads to swelling of the canal after the spell of rains. The news item also refers to January, 2024 study published in Aqua, a journal of water supply, research and technology showing that a biological oxygen demand value (BOD) ranged from 1.2 to 2.5 mg/L, indicating the presence of organic matter consuming oxygen.
The court noted that the news item raised substantial issues relating to compliance of the environmental norms. Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) informed the court that the cleaning of the canal was done on April 26, 2024 and that the inspection was done on April 27, 2024 and samples have been collected but the sample analysis report is awaited. TNPCB sought time to file a comprehensive report showing the status of the canal.
NGT directed the authorities to file their response within six weeks before the southern zonal bench, Chennai.