Explain rationale behind barricading houses with tin sheets, HC tells Corpn

CHENNAI: Wondering whether there was any scientific rationale behind blocking houses of COVID-19 patients with tin sheets, the Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Corporation Commissioner to appear through video conferencing on November10 to explain the reason behind the move.

A division bench comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice R Hemalatha raised several queries on barricading the houses of COVID-19 patients in the city using tin sheets without any scientific evidence.

Justice Sathyanarayanan sought to know under what guidelines was the tin sheets being placed in front of houses, and noted that not a single Corporation official turned up when he had tested positive for the virus.

The directions were passed on a plea filed by R Priyanka, an advocate sought better care in Corporation hospitals. Her husband, GE Balaji, had tested positive with mildly symptomatic conditions in August, and was soon quarantined in a facility at Guru Nanak College.

Although he had only mild fever with no co-morbidities, the Corporation confined him to the facility. “Though our house has five rooms, the sanitary inspector who visited the house had already made his assumptions and filled the forms by himself, and blocked the house with tin sheets,” the petitioner submitted.

Recording it, the court asked the counsel for the city Corporation to explain the rationale behind barricading houses. The bench also issued notices to Chennai collector, Health Department and the Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner after directing them to file individual status reports on the plea.

Justice Sathyanarayanan sought to know under what guidelines was the tin sheets being placed in front of houses