Chennai: Converting a petition as suo motu proceedings, the Madras high court has directed the authorities to file a status report on the alleged illegal encroachments in and around Keelkatalai lake near Madipakkam in Kancheepuram district.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R.Mahadevan also ordered notice, returnable by September 6 to State revenue secretary, PWD secretary, Kancheepuram Collector, RDO, Tambaram and Tahsildar, Sholinganallur.
In its order, the Bench said, “We are not satisfied that the petitioner, who has no expertise in the subject matter and not residing in the area, is bona fide in raising the issue of alleged encroachment on water body. The petitioner claims to be the district president of Hindu Munnani. That itself cannot give a status to file a petition. We are thus not inclined to entertain the petitioner at the behest of the petition. We, however, feel that since the issue relates to a water body the court should examine the issue. We, thus, while rejecting the petition filed by the petitioner as PIL, convert it as suo motu proceedings”.
In his petition, N.Raveendran of Madambakkam submitted that from 2005 several newspapers have been publishing the alleged encroachment of about 40 acres of land in and around Keelkatalai lake adjacent to the 200 ft radial road by several persons.
The occupation of water body was not only illegal but also leading to perennial water shortage in several villages at Madipakkam, Keelkatalai, Nanmangalam, Kovilambakkam, Zameen Pallavaram etc, as the lake which was the natural water way/ayacut and reservoir for fresh water and replenishment of ground water was being tampered with and encroached upon.
This was in clear violation of the Tamil Nadu Protection of Tanks and Eviction of Encroachments Act, he said. He said that the then Tahsildar wrote to the Kancheepuram Collector in 2005 informing that the lands in question were illegally encroached and patta had been unauthorisedly granted for the said lands and the same needs to be revoked.
The village map and field measurement book sketch of Keelkatalai village, obtained under the RTI Act, from the Director of Survey and Land records clearly show that the survey numbers were part of Keelkatalai and Zameen Pallavaram lakes and the waterways related thereto.
He filed the present petition to direct the authorities to repossess the government lands from the illegal occupants and restore the Keelkatalai lake and its foreshore and basin areas to its original extent and size and maintain it properly so that water flowing into the lake during monsoon continues to be a source of potable water for thousands of residents of the locality, he added.
