The Kerala High Court set aside a Lok Adalat award prohibiting farmers from spraying sulphur to protect rubber trees. It directed authorities not to prevent farmers from spraying sulphur within limits prescribed by officers, ensuring no harm is caused to neighbors.
8016/2021
This page shows the compact analysis of this judgement. The full analysis — procedural history, issue-by-issue holdings with ratio and obiter, advocates, and paragraph-level evidence for every claim — is being added to the record in batches and will appear here when this judgement has been through it.
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
PRESENT
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN WEDNESDAY, THE 22ND DAY OF DECEMBER 2021 / 1ST POUSHA,
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WP(C) NO. 8016 OF 2021
PETITIONER/S:
1 MATHEW THOMAS, AGED 61 YEARS S/O. THOMAS, NADUVATHANIYIL HOUSE, VENMANI P.O. IDUKKI DISTRICT, 685 606.2 VARKEY DEVASSIA,AGED 65 YEARS S/O. DEVASSIA,ANDUKUNNEL HOUSE, VENMANI P.O. IDUKKI DISTRICT, 685 606.3 VARGHESE SOMAN,AGED 62 YEARS S/O. SOMAN, THAZHATH KOZHIKUNNEL HOUSE, VENMANI P.O. IDUKKI DISTRICT, 685 606.4 JOHN SAMUEL,AGED 62 YEARS S/O. SAMUEL,THEKKEKATTIL HOUSE, VENMANI P.O. IDUKKI DISTRICT, 685 606.5 NARAYANAN CHETTIYAR,AGED 73 YEARS S/O. KUNJUTTAN CHETTIYAR, KUZHIYAMPLAVIL HOUSE, VENMANI P.O. IDUKKI DISTRICT, 685 606.BY ADVS.
MATHEW SKARIA
SRI.C.M.TOMY
SRI.K.GEORGE OOMMEN (G-615)
SRI.JOY JOSEPH (MUNDACKAL)
RESPONDENT/S:
1 THE STATE OF KERALA REPRESENTED BY PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT, GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM DISTRICT 695 001.-2-
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2 THE DISTRICT COLLECTOR, IDUKK, COLLECTORATE, KUYILIMALA, PAINAV P.O. IDUKKI, KERALA STATE 685 603.3 KANJIKUZHY GRAMA PANCHAYATH, REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY, KANJIKUZY, IDUKKI DISTRICT 685 606.4 THE PRESIDENT, KANJIKUZHY GRAMA PANCHAYATH KANJIKUZHY, IDUKKI DISTRICT 685 606, (IST RESPONDENT IN THE LOK ADALATH).5 THE DISTRICT MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH, IDUKKI, KUYILIMALA, PAINAV P.O. IDUKKI , KERALA STATE 685 603.6 THE STATION HOUSE OFFICER, KANJIKUZHY POLICE STATION, KANJIKUZHY, IDUKKI DISTRICT 685 606.7 THE DIRECTOR (RESEARCH), RUBBER RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF INDIA, RUBBER BOARD P.O. KOTTAYAM 686 009.8 THE DPEUTY DIRECTOR (RESEARCH), RUBBER RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF INDIA, RUBBER BOARD P.O. KOTTAYAM 686 009.9 MATHEW JOHN, KUNNUMPURATH HOUSE, VENMANI P.O. KANJIKUZY, IDUKKI DISTRICT 685 606, (PETITIONER IN THE LOK ADALATH).10 THE DISTRICT LEGEL SERVICE AUTHORITY,IDUKKI, THODUPUZHA, MUTTOM P.O. THODUPUZHA 685 587.11 THE HEALTH INSPECTOR, COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE, KANJIKUZHY, (IDUKKI DISTRICT 685 6060, (2ND RESPONDENT IN THE LOK ADALATH).12 THE AGRICULTURAL OFFICER, KRISHI BHAVAN, CHELACHUVADU, IDUKKI 685 606.W.P.(C). No. 8016 of 2021
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BY ADVS.
GOVERNMENT PLEADER
V.ABRAHAM MARKOS
SIDHARTH A.MENON
ABRAHAM JOSEPH MARKOS
ISAAC THOMAS
P.G.CHANDAPILLAI ABRAHAM
ALEXANDER JOSEPH MARKOS
SHARAD JOSEPH KODANTHARA
OTHER PRESENT:
SMT.JASMINE.M, GP
THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR
ADMISSION ON 22.12.2021, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY
DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:
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P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN, J.
W.P.(C).No. 8016 of 2021
Dated this the 22nd day of December, 2021
JUDGMENT
The above writ petition is filed with following prayers:
“(i) Issue a writ of certiorari and / or other appropriate writ, order or direction, quashing Exhibit P2 award of the Lock Adalat dated 07-032018 in A.P .No.5188/2017 alleged to have passed in the Lok Adalat held at Thodupuzha organized by Idukki District Legal Service Authorit, Thodupuzha.
(ii) Issue a writ of mandamus and/ or other appropriate writ, direction or order commanding the respondents 3,4,6,11 and 12 not to prevent the petitioners and other similarly situated persons from spraying and fogging sulphur on their rubber trees in their plantations at appropriate times to prevent falling of fresh leaves and drying up of the branches of the rubber trees.
(iii) Issue such other appropriate writs, order or direction which this Hon’ble Court may deem fit and proper in the interest of justice.”
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prevent falling down of freshly growing leaves and consequent drying out of the branches of the rubber trees in winter season, the petitioners and other farmers of the locality are being used to do spraying and fogging of sulphur on the trees as advised by the Rubber Board. It is the case of the petitioner that the Secretary and Health Inspector of the 3rd respondent Grama Panchayat and Police under the 6th respondent are now preventing the petitioners and similarly situated agriculturists in the 3rd respondent Panchayat from spraying and fogging sulphur based on an award dated 07.03.2018 in A.P.No.5188 of 2017 of the Lok Adalat passed at Thodupuzha. When the petitioner approached the 10th respondent, it is informed that the 10th respondent could not even find out such file in their office. According to the petitioners, the award of the Lok Adalat is passed without hearing the affected parties like the petitioners. It is stated by the petitioners that the Secretary and Health Inspector of the 3rd respondent Grama Panchayat have no
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authority to make such an undertaking before the Lok Adalat without conducting proper enquiry and without any decision of the Panchayat Committee. It is also stated in the writ petition that the Lok Adalat also ought not to have passed such an award, without hearing the affected parties. The specific case of the petitioner is that Ext.P2 award is passed behind the back of the petitioners. Hence, this writ petition is filed.
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order. The respondents are only the President of the Kanhikuzhi Grama Panchayat and Health Inspector. The affected parties are not there. Therefore, according to me, Ext.P2 will not stand.
“8. Sulphur dusting is a practice undertaken in our rubber plantations for several decades and no deleterious effects have been reported. Inhalation of the dust in large quantities is harmful as in the case of other dust and precautions may be taken by workers while Sulphur dusting operations by using goggles and masks. For young rubber nurseries and for young rubber plants water-based Sulphur is recommended. For mature rubber, application of water-based
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fungicides is not practical. For the mature rubber plantations Sulphur dusting which has to be carried out in the early morning hours using single man or four men carrying power dusters when the leaves are moist and atmosphere calm.
Agricultural Officer, which is produced by the Government
Pleader with a memo. The report is also extracted hereunder:
"ഇടുക്കി കഞ്ഞിക്കുഴി ഗ്രാമപഞ്ചായത്തിലെ� കുന്നുംപുറത ് വീട്ടിൽ താമസിക്കുന്ന ശ്രീ. മാത്യു ജ$ാൺ എന്നയാൾ ടിയാലെ) വീടിനു അടുത്ത പറമ്പിലെ� റബർ ജതാട്ടത്തിൽ ഗന്ധകം അടിക്കുന്നത് മൂ�ം ടിയാനും മറ്റും ശ്വാസം മുട്ടൽ അനുഭവലെ7ടുന്നു എന്നും ആയതു തടയണലെമന ് ന ആവശ്യലെ7ട്ടുലെകാണ ് ട ബഹു. ജ�ാക് അദാ�ത ് ത മുൻപാലെക നൽകിയ പി. എൽ. പി. (190/20) പരാതിയുലെട അടിസ്ഥാനത്തിൽ ടി വിഷയത്തിൽ ആവശ്യമായ അജന്യാഷണം നടത്തി അനധികൃതമായി ഗന്ധകം അടിക്കുന്നത് തടയുന്നതിനു കർഷകർക ് ക നിർജOശം നൽകണലെമന ് കുഞ്ഞിക്കുഴി പഞ്ചായത ് ത ലെസക്രട്ടറി കത ് ത മുജQന അറിയിക് ക യുണ്ടായി. ആയതിലെ) അടിസ്ഥാനത്തിൽ 22/03/2021 ന് ബന്ധലെ7ട്ട സ്ഥ�ം പരിജശാധിക് ക യും കർഷകലെര ജനരിൽ കാണുകയും ലെTയ്തു. ലെപാടിക്കുമിൾ ജരാഗം എല്ലാ പ്രായത്തിലുമുള്ള റബ്ബറിജനയും ബാധിക്കുന്നതാണ്.
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$നുവരി, ലെ\ബ്രുവരി മാസങ്ങളിൽ ഇ�ലെപാഴിച്ച�ിനുജശഷം ലെപാടിച്ചുവരുന്ന തളിരി�കലെളയാണ് ഈ ജരാഗം ബാധിക്കുന്നതു എന്നതുലെകാണ ് കൃത്യമായ നിയന്ത്രണ മാർഗങ്ങൾ സ്വീകരിച്ചിലെല്ലങ്കിൽ മരങ്ങൾ നശിക് ക ജയാ ഉൽ7ാദന നഷ്ടം ഉണ്ടാകുകജയാ ലെTയ്യുന്നു. റബർ കൃഷിയിൽ ശാസ്ത്രീയമായി ഗന്ധകം അടിക്കുന്നത് നിജരാധിച്ചിട്ടില്ലാത് ിനാൽ നി�വിലെ� വ്യവസ്ഥകൾക ് അനുസൃതമായി ലെപാടിക്കുമിൾ ജരാഗത്തിലെനതിലെര ജകരള കാർഷിക സർവ്വക�ാശാ�യുലെട പാജക്ക$് ഓ\് പ്രാക്ടീസസ് ലെറക്കലെമൻജnഷൻസ് പ്രകാരം കൃത്യമായ അളവിൽ ഗന്ധകം ഉപജയാഗിക്കുന്നതിനു കർഷകർക ് ക നിർജOശം നൽകി. ജമൽ വിവരിച്ച വിവരം സത്യം ജബാധി7ിച്ചുലെകാള്ളുന്നു.
counter affidavit filed by respondents 7 and 8, it is clear that sulphur dusting is a practice undertaken in rubber plantations for several decades and no deleterious effects have been reported so far. It is true that in the affidavit filed by respondents 7 and 8, it is stated that inhalation of the dust in large quantity is harmful as in the case of other dust and precautions is to be taken by workers while sulphur dusting operations by using goggles and masks. For young rubber nurseries and for young rubber plants water-based sulphur is
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recommended. It is also stated in the affidavit that for mature rubber, application of water-based fungicides is not practical. For the mature rubber plantations sulphur dusting has to be carried out in the early morning hours using single man or four men carrying power dusters when the leaves are moist and atmosphere calm.
Therefore, this writ petition is allowed in the following
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manner:
sd/-
P.V.KUNHIKRISHNAN JUDGE
das
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APPENDIX OF WP(C) 8016/2021
PETITIONER EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT P1TRUE COPY OF THE CERTIFICATE NO.
RRII/PATH/DD-1/2012 DATED 11.02.2013
SUED BY THE 8TH RESPONDENT.
EXHIBIT P2TRUE COPY OF THE ALLEGED AWARD OF THE
LOK ADALAT DATED 07.03.2018 IN A.P.
NO. 5188/2017.
EXHIBIT P3TRUE COPY OF THE REPLY DATED
10/03/2021 GIVEN BY THE 1TH RESPONDENT
TO THE COUNSEL FOR PETITIONERS.
2 issues framed by the court
Whether the award of the Lok Adalat preventing sulphur spraying on rubber trees should be quashed.
Whether petitioners have the right to spray and fog sulphur on their rubber trees without being prevented by administrative authorities.
Mathew Thomas
Varkey Devassia
Varghese Soman
John Samuel
Narayanan Chettiyar
State of Kerala
P.V.Kunhikrishnan
As recorded by the court registry
Judgements on the same questions, provisions and authorities, from every court