HC issues notice on PIL seeking installation of green toilets

The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has ordered issue of a notice to the Railway Board Chairman and the Southern Railways General Manager, among others, on a PIL seeking a direction to install 'Green toilet system' in all trains to prevent environment pollution.
A division bench of Justice M. Jaichandran and Justice R.Mahadevan ordered notice to the officials including the Divisional Manager, Southern Railway.
Assistant Solicitor General G.R.Swaminathan took notice on behalf of the Secretary of the Railway Ministry. The bench gave eights week time to reply to the petition. The Railway advocate R.Murali took the notice on behalf of Railway officials.

The petitioner T.Dharbar Raja, a social activist, said the Railway ministry had already allocated Rs.4000 crore for the project in 2008-09.
The Green toilet system would help convert the faeces into methane which could be used to generate power, he said. The system was successful in the US and Japan.
He claimed the controlled toilet discharge system did not work.