The Madras High Court on Tuesday took serious note of incidents of manual scavenging reported recently inside the University of Madras campus as well as in Mannargudi municipality in Tiruvarur district. It warned of severe repercussions if such incidents continue to get reported in violation of the court orders.
Chief Justice S.V. Gangapurwala and Justice P.D. Audikesavalu passed the interim orders after Senior Counsel Srinath Sridevan, representing Safai Karamchari Andolan, told the court there did not appear to be an end to manual scavenging despite numerous court orders and a central law prohibiting it.
Advocate Krishna Ravindran, representing Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), told the court two men had indeed been made to enter a three feet deep sewer chamber near the university canteen to clear the empty bottles that had clogged the drain on August 4.
.jpg?w=600)
