Elipe Dharmarao, J.

The petitioners are the joint owners of 10.50 acres of land in S.Nos.330 and 331 and Patta No.1243 of Thoppampatti village, Thennilai Keezh Bhavani Ayacut, Aravakkurichi Taluk, Karur District. According to the petitioners, their lands are situated along the left bank of the River Noyal and they were cultivating various crops like sugarcane, groundnut, paddy, mango, coconut and teak and they draw water for the irrigation from an open well near the river bank. The petitioners further stated that though they were obtaining high yield, of late, the yield has gone down drastically due to the contamination of the well caused by the pollutants in the River Noyyal, which has, over the years, became a depository for chemical effluents discharged by the dyeing industry at Tiruppur; that bleaching and dyeing units are set up in the vicinity of the river, in violation of G.O.Ms.No.213 (Environment and Forests (EC-1), dated 30.3.1989, which prohibits the establishment of highly polluting industries within one kilometre from the embankments of water sources and therefore, they sought the assistance of Dr.K.K.Krishnamurthy, a renowned Soil Scientist and a former Dea