The Madras High Court has directed the state government to maintain status quo on its proposal to build a 184-ft-tall statue of Lord Murugan at the foothills of Maruthamalai until October 9.
Justices N Sathish Kumar and K Rajasekar issued the direction after the state’s senior counsel said the government was identifying an alternative site that would not cause environmental harm.
The court had raised concerns over the HR&CE department’s proposal, as the site, close to a reserve forest, might hinder wild elephant movement. Maruthamalai, a prominent hill shrine dedicated to Lord Murugan on the western outskirts of Coimbatore, attracts thousands of devotees and is ecologically sensitive.
The court was also hearing a case concerning the HR&CE’s proposal to establish a cable car at the Anuvavi Subramaniyar Temple. After warnings from experts about ecological disruption, Chennai-based activist Muralitharan filed a writ petition seeking to scrap the cable car project.
On August 21, the standing counsel appearing for the temple informed the court that there had been no progress on the cable car proposal. The counsel also sought a direction to maintain status quo until October 9, when the matter is scheduled to be heard again.
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