Madras High Court directs Collector to consider compensation plea in refugee child's death

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Virudhunagar Collector to consider a representation made by a Sri Lankan Tamil refugee seeking adequate compensation for the death of his 11-year-old daughter. The child fell ill after drinking contaminated water supplied at the Sri Lankan Tamil Rehabilitation Camp in Sivakasi.

The court was hearing a petition filed by T. Nathan, a resident of the camp. According to the petitioner, the camp currently houses around 38 families, and its residents depend on daily wage labour, painting work, and other forms of unorganised employment for their livelihood.

Nathan alleged that the bore well meant to supply drinking water to the camp was constructed at a location between three pre-existing septic tanks. He claimed that the residents had raised objections at the time, but their concerns were ignored. Over time, effluents and biological waste from the septic tanks gradually percolated into the ground and mixed with the groundwater, rendering the water supplied to the camp unfit for human consumption.

Having no alternative source, residents continued to draw and consume the contaminated water for drinking, cooking, and other domestic purposes. As a result, several residents, including children, developed high fever and were admitted to the Government Hospital in Sivakasi. Among them was Nathan's daughter, N. Nijaisthana.

According to the petitioner, his daughter was later shifted to the Government Hospital in Virudhunagar for further treatment, but she died the next day. The incident caused widespread outrage among the camp residents, who staged a protest demanding accountability from the authorities.

In his petition, Nathan sought a direction to the authorities to test the drinking water source in the camp, conduct an inquiry into the contamination and the subsequent death, and pay compensation to the affected families.

After hearing the matter, Justice C. Saravanan directed the Virudhunagar Collector to consider the representation made by the petitioner and take appropriate action in accordance with the law. The court did not comment on the merits of the allegations but emphasised the need for the authorities to address the grievance expeditiously.

The Sri Lankan Tamil Rehabilitation Camp in Sivakasi is one of several such camps in Tamil Nadu that house refugees who fled the civil war in Sri Lanka. These camps have often faced issues related to inadequate infrastructure, including unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation. The court's direction is seen as a step toward ensuring that the rights of these vulnerable communities are upheld.