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The Madras High Court on Monday dismissed a petition that sought to prevent the Isha Foundation in Coimbatore from conducting its Mahashivratri celebrations.
The petitioner, S.T. Sivagnanan, had requested the authorities to take action against the foundation for allegedly operating without proper sewage treatment facilities and discharging untreated sewage.
Additionally, Sivagnanan raised concerns about noise pollution and requested that the authorities refrain from granting permission for the Mahashivratri event scheduled for February 26 and 27, citing violations during the previous year’s celebrations.
In response, the Court had directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to inspect whether the Isha Foundation was complying with relevant environmental regulations during the Mahashivratri event. The TNPCB submitted that the foundation had adequate sewage treatment facilities in place to handle the waste generated during the celebrations.
R. Kannan, the member secretary of the TNPCB, provided a counter-affidavit stating that the Isha Foundation had taken appropriate measures to manage both sewage and noise pollution. According to the affidavit, the ambient noise levels at the venue were within the limits set by the pollution control board.
Furthermore, the foundation’s infrastructure could accommodate up to 60,000 people and was equipped to manage solid, liquid, and noise pollution.
Kannan further clarified that there had been no public complaints regarding air, water, or noise pollution at the foundation’s events. The Isha Foundation, according to the TNPCB’s findings, had adhered to the prescribed Noise Pollution Rules during the celebrations.
After considering these reports, a division bench comprising Justices S. M. Subramaniam and K. Rajasekar dismissed the petition filed by Sivagnanan, allowing the Mahashivratri event to proceed as planned.
In summary, the Court ruled in favor of the Isha Foundation, affirming that the necessary environmental measures were in place and dismissing the concerns raised by the petitioner regarding pollution and violations.
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