Madras High Court issues advisory to local bodies to conduct sanitization drives to keep Covid-19 in check [READ ORDER]

The Madras High Court on Thursday (May 13, 2021), through its order, issued an advisory to all local bodies to sanitize and spray disinfectants to curb the air-borne virus. 

A bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy directed the states to issue an advisory to all local bodies, including corporations, municipalities, and panchayats, across the State to undertake large scale spraying activity to disinfect areas and to ensure supply of approved material and necessary facilities for the treatment of Covid-19 infected patients. 

The Covid-19 surge has adversely effected Tamil Nadu and placed it among the top 5 most affected states in the country with over 15.3 lakh cases.  While the State Government has taken several steps such as partial lockdown, night curfew, shutting down commercial establishments and non-essential services, restrictions on multiplexes and gyms, etc., the State also needs to ensure that hospitals are well equipped with drugs, oxygen supply, and other necessary facilities.

The Advocate General appearing before the Court stated that the World Health Organization Guidelines as to the use of material are being strictly adhered to across the State. 

The first bench of the Madras High Court observed as thus “The State should ensure to sanitise and spray disinfectants, to the extent possible and within the existing constraints, to ensure that the airborne virus is kept at somewhat of a check. An advisory in such regard may be issued to all local bodies so that villages and small towns may yet be saved from the large scale attacks as seen in the urban areas.”

In another matter, the bench sought the Additional Solicitor General to verify if all the ESI units across the State are well equipped and have the necessary facilities to handle Covid-19 patients. However, the bench refused to consider the plea for letting general Covid-19 patients use Railways and Port Hospitals since these are exclusively reserved for Railways and Port employees.

The petition will appear next for hearing on May 17, 2021 along with other Covid-19 related cases.

[READ ORDER]