HC imposes costs on TN for disobeying directive on turtle

The Madras High Court has imposed a cost of Rs 7,500 on the Tamil Nadu government for not complying with court orders on Olive Ridley turtle conservation and setting up an external agency to study the matter.
The court had earlier taken up an article published in a English daily highlighting the mass death of endangered Olive Ridley turtles on Chennai's beaches as suo motu PIL and issued notice to the government.
After going through the report filed by the court appointed amicus curiae, Advocate T Mohan, the First Bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice S Vaidyanathan said the government had failed to appoint an external agency and file a comprehensive report, as directed by the court three months ago.

Pulling up the government, the court said, "The state government is in breach of our order dated January 28, 2016, having done nothing till the anvil of the hearing for carrying out an audit by a non-governmental organisation working in the field of turtle conservation."
The court reminded that it had directed government to make available a report from an NGO three days before the present hearing date but it has failed to do so.
"Documents show that it is only vide letter dated April 7, 2016 that consent of the Trust for Environmental Education was sought to be obtained."

"We consider it fit to penalise the state government for the inaction," the bench said and directed the government to deposit the amount to the mediation and conciliation centre in two weeks.
The bench after adjourning the matter to July 11 directed that the NGO's report be placed three days prior to the above date.
In his memo to the bench, the amicus curiae, who had gone through the counter filed on behalf of government, which stated that turtle mortality had come down compared to previous years, said there was no data on turtle mortality and nesting.