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Vellore tanneries compensation case -- Eco Authority's award in two months

S. Gopikrishna Warrier

CHENNAI, June 4

THE Loss of Ecology Authority will deliver in another two months its award on the compensation that tanneries need to pay for the pollution they had caused.

Speaking to Business Line, the Chairman of the Authority, Justice Mr. P. Bhaskaran, said in recent weeks, the authority was going through the process of hearing the tanning industry's views on the damage assessment made by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural Uni versity (TNAU).

As per the orders of the Green Bench of the Madras High Court, counsels for the tannery associations were permitted to cross-examine the TNAU experts, he said.

Having completed that process in the last week of May, the Authority has given time for non-tannery units in the Palar basin to depose on the issue of pollution. The award would be delivered only after these hearings were completed and the views of the p arties concerned taken into consideration, Justice Mr. Bhaskaran said.

The matter went to the High Court after a group of tannery associations filed writ petitions challenging the constitution of the Authority.

The Authority was constituted by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) as a response to the Supreme Court's August 1996 judgment on the Tamil Nadu tannery pollution case.

On April 24, Mr. Justice P. Shanmugam of the Madras High Court rejected the petition by the tannery associations, stating that prima facie the contention that the Authority was functioning beyond the scope of the Environment Protection Act was not accept able.

The petitioners went on appeal to the Green Bench, comprising the Chief Justice, Mr. K.G. Balakrishnan, and Justice, Mr. K. Govindarajan. In its order dated April 28, the Bench said it would not look into the issue of the legality of constituting the Aut hority now as this could be dealt with after the main writ petitions were handled.

However, the Bench said the petitioners could take their objections to the Authority, which could also decide on permitting the cross-examination of the TNAU experts.

Further, it could take into consideration the petitioner's arguments before deciding its award. If the petitioners felt they were aggrieved, they could legally challenge the award.

The TNAU was commissioned by the Authority to assess the damage caused by Vellore tanneries. In its report submitted on October 20, 1999, it stated that 15,600 ha of agricultural land, held by 32,000 people, were polluted.