Mangaluru, Oct 24: The High Court of Karnataka has asked the Mangaluru City Corporation and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board to clarify its stance on appointing an organisation such as the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute to prevent recurrence of tragedies such as the Pachanady disaster.
In August 2019, a mound of garbage at the Pachanady landfill, on the outskirts of the coastal city slid downwards landing on various houses and several houses.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka pointed out to the MCC and the pollution board that the garbage dump had become a major health hazard, contaminating local groundwater aquifers.
The court also sought an explanation from the member-secretary of the KSPCB on whether or not action would be taken against the officer who had failed to lodge a complaint in connection with the Pachanady disaster 14 months after the incident, instead of doing so immediately after.
The court was informed that the state government had disbursed the remaining quantum of amount, Rs 14 crore, towards compensation for those affected by the disaster. The lawyer for the MCC, meanwhile, issued a new paper publication calling on all those affected by the disaster to submit their claims.
The court is hearing the case following a PIL filed by the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority.
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