Madras High Court posted the matter for further hearing on November 10 (File)
Chennai:
The Madras High Court today directed all municipal commissioners and heads of municipalities across Tamil Nadu to file a written affidavit that no manual scavenging would be allowed in their areas in future when they assume office. .
The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice PD Audikesvalu gave this direction while passing further interim orders on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against manual scavengers today.
“Manual scavenging cannot be practiced by any means and it will continue to be the responsibility of all municipal bodies and corporations across the state to ensure that there is no manual scavenging activity. Commissioners of corporations and municipalities The heads of the municipalities shall be held personally responsible if manual scavenging activity is detected or an accident occurs during it,” the bench said.
“In order not to compromise the public interest, the State should endeavor to obtain suitable machines or improve the sewer lines to ensure that manual scavenging is not required anywhere in the State. And it shall also be the responsibility of the heads of municipalities that no private person indulges in any manual scavenging activity or engages anyone else in this regard,” the bench said.
It posted the matter for further hearing after six weeks on November 10. Meanwhile, the state’s blueprint for important guidelines to be issued in this regard should be in force till the next time the case is presented, the judges said.
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