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Synopsis

The Madras High Court on Friday, February 21, 2025, asked the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to submit a report on allegations that Isha Foundation has repeatedly violated pollution norms during its annual Maha Shivratri celebrations. The event takes place at the Isha Yoga Centre, located at the foothills of Velliangiri in Coimbatore district.

A division bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and K. Rajasekar directed Additional Advocate General (AAG) J. Ravindran to ensure that the report is filed by February 24 morning. Since this year’s celebrations are scheduled for the night of February 26-27, the court said it needed to issue necessary orders before then.

The court’s direction came in response to a petition seeking to stop the Tamil Nadu government, Coimbatore Collector, Superintendent of Police, District Forest Officer, and TNPCB from allowing music, dance, and other cultural performances at the event, which attracts lakhs of visitors.

The petition was filed by S.T. Sivagnanan, a 52-year-old resident of Semmedu village in Coimbatore district. He owns 20 acres of land in Ikkarai Boluvampatti village, near the 295-acre Isha Yoga Centre. He claimed that more than 6,000 people live or work at the centre, and around 7,000 visitors come daily. During Maha Shivratri, attendance soars, with about 7 lakh people attending in 2023.

According to the petitioner, the centre lacks proper facilities to handle the large amount of sewage generated during such massive gatherings. His lawyer, A. Yogeshwaran, argued that concerts with loud music and dance should not be held near a forest. He also said the bright lights used during the festival disturb wildlife, particularly elephants.

The petitioner noted that he had filed a similar case before the 2024 Maha Shivratri celebrations, which is still pending. Despite the court’s previous order to properly dispose of sewage, he alleged that Isha Foundation failed to comply and continued to exceed noise pollution limits during nighttime events.

However, Isha Foundation’s lawyer, senior counsel Satish Parasaran, argued that the petitioner had filed the case just five days before the celebrations with ulterior motive. He also questioned why a new petition was filed when last year’s case was still unresolved.

Parasaran maintained that Isha Foundation follows the pollution control guidelines set by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2020. AAG Ravindran added that the festival must comply with legal and environmental norms. He requested time until Monday to gather details from officials and file a response. The court agreed and scheduled the next hearing accordingly.