5 days ago
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The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) is yet to person a elaborate lake-wise restoration and attraction program from the Coimbatore Corporation successful a suo motu lawsuit initiated successful 2024 based connected a quality study connected integrative discarded accumulation successful lakes developed nether the Smart Cities Mission.
The proceedings stem from a study titled “Lakes developed nether Smart Cities inaugural successful Coimbatore crook dumping grounds for integrative waste”, published successful The Hindu connected September 8, 2024. Taking suo motu cognisance of the issue, the Tribunal impleaded the Coimbatore Corporation done its Commissioner and sought reports from the authorities concerned.
Subsequently, the territory medication and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) filed reports outlining measures projected to code contamination and amended the information of the lakes. The TNPCB was besides directed to guarantee adherence to the prescribed Standard Operating Procedures.
During the proceeding connected September 11, 2025, the Tribunal noted that the study filed by the Coimbatore Corporation referred to respective measures purportedly undertaken to unafraid nationalist practice successful maintaining the lakes. These included the installation of informative signboards, show of consciousness posters, work of messages done the media and behaviour of nationalist consciousness campaigns.
However, the Tribunal observed that the Corporation had not placed connected grounds immoderate supporting documents, photographs, run materials, copies of publications oregon different grounds to substantiate its claims. Stating that the submissions remained unsupported, the Tribunal directed the Corporation to furnish lake-wise details of improvement works undertaken and timelines projected for restoration and attraction of the waterbodies.
The Tribunal besides observed that, upon restoration and making the lakes afloat operational, the Corporation could analyse the feasibility of levying introduction fees for permitted activities astir the lakes.
However, the Corporation is yet to taxable the details sought by the Tribunal. The substance was past heard connected April 20, 2026, and has been posted for further proceeding connected July 23, 2026.
