MADURAI
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday put forth a series of queries to the Collector and the Corporation Commissioner in order to ascertain the COVID-19 situation in Tiruchi city and district.
A Division Bench of Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and P. Rajamanickam took cognisance of the State’s submission that there were eight testing facilities, including two private labs in the district. The court opined that the number of facilities was inadequate.
After the court was informed that the samples were also sent to Coimbatore district for analysis, the judges wanted to know what procedure was involved in the exercise as it required keeping the samples at sub-zero temperature.
Further, the court wanted to know if biomedical waste from Tiruchi Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital was being discharged into Uyyakondan canal, whether the water was treated before being let into the canal and whether there were incinerators in place.
The judges told the Tiruchi Collector and the Corporation Commissioner who were present before the court through video-conferencing that there was a need to collect more samples for testing and to see to it that the results were announced within 48 hours.
With the relaxation of lockdown, the judges said, the district administration and the police had to ensure that the public followed physical distancing norms and sanitation measures, and wore masks.
They had to educate the public and initiate penal action if the norms were not being followed, the court said. It also impleaded the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board as a respondent in the case to cause inspection of Uyyakondan canal. It demanded a comprehensive status report on discharge into the canal and growth of weed.
The court was hearing the public interest litigation petition filed by advocate R. Rajagobal who sought a direction to the State to ensure proper monitoring of the COVID-19 situation in Tiruchi district. The case was adjourned till September 23.