Duty of TN government to protect water bodies, National Green Tribunal says

The southern bench of the Tribunal slammed government departments for their laxity in filing a status report on Adyar river

It is the duty of the State government to ensure that regular maintenance work is carried out in rivers and that the flow of the rivers is not obstructed by any natural cause -- weeds and hyacinths, the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) said. The State is also expected to keep the Adyar river in conformity with the standard provided for river water so that aquatic life can have sufficient oxygen etc., the bench said. If there was any laxity on the part of the regulators in carrying out such activities, it would adversely affect the environment, especially riverine environment ecology and aquatic life. including flora and fauna, the bench said.