HC firm on shutting down polluting Tirupur dyeing units (Times of India 01 February 2011)

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday declined to alter its order directing closure of all dyeing and bleaching units in the hosiery town of Tirupur for causing pollution despite its earlier directives. When Tamil Nadu pollution control board and Tirupur dyeing factory owners association made oral submissions seeking alteration of the January 28 order, a bench comprising CJ M Y Eqbal and Justice T S Sivagnanam declined to hear it and directed them to file a review petition. Taking a serious view of continued discharge of effluents into Noyyal River, the bench had on Friday directed TNPCB to close down over 720 dyeing and bleaching units on a contempt petition. Besides, it had also directed disconnection of electricity supply to the units in Tirupur, a major hosiery hub and export centre near Coimbatore. When the matter was listed before the bench on Monday for some corrections, additional advocate general P Wilson appearing for TNPCB and counsel for Tirupur dyeing factory owners association made a submission for a review of the order. Justice Eqbal said, "We cannot alter the order, we have no jurisdiction to change the order on the contempt petition. Asking review of the contempt order is unknown to law."