Madras High Court raps government for not protecting Pallikaranai lake

Chennai: The Madras high court on Wednesday come down heavily on authorities for allowing encroachers to occupy the ecologically sensitive Pallikaranai lake here. Justice N.Kirubakaran, before whom a writ petition filed by 62 persons came up for hearing, directed authorities to file a report on the present condition of the lake.

“We should protect and preserve nature and environment failing which nature's fury would be very dangerous,” the judge said, raising 10 pertinent questions during the hearing. The petitioners, residents of Quaid-e-Milleth Nagar, Pallikaranai, have challenged the transfer of 170 hectares of land by municipal administration and water supply department to forest department through GO dated December 24, 2012. They sought a direction seeking pattas in respect of the marshland by illegally encroaching the wetland.

Justice Kirubakaran blamed authorities for permitting the encroachers and for allowing them to occupy the marshland over the years. The land had been sold by land-grabbers using fake documents, claiming that marshland belonged to Ettayapuram Zamin. The land-grabbers alleged that the land was donated by Britishers during the colonial rule for facilitating the arrest of King Kattabomman in the past.

Subsequently, sale deed was executed in favour of Trust, 'Boomi Balaha' for 66.70 acres of land in Pallikaranai village on October 13, 2004. This was registered before Royapuram sub registrar, who was not authorised to register the land since it was not coming under his jurisdiction. A case has been pending in this court and another before Chennai Crime Branch-II.

“Pallikaranai fresh water swamp is one of the few surviving wetland eco systems in the State. Currently, it has shrunk to an extent of 80 sqkms with a width of 3 kms. The marsh contains endangered species and breeding ground for several migratory birds", the judge said.

The indiscriminate dumping of garbage containing toxic substances, discharge of sewage and mindless conversion of marsh land as housing site and construction of numerous educational institutions, IT aparks and hospitals had shrunk the nature's gift. The wet land was an important source for life supporting ecosystem.

The authorities are turning blind eye towards the encroachers, who were assisted by politicians and officials. Over 300 acres of marsh land used as City's dumping yard and garbage burnt regularly causing pollution affecting birds and rare species, fauna and the people.

Once, the marsh land had an extent of 5000 hectares and it got reduced to a smaller extent. Originally, the marsh land was surrounded on the East by Old Mahabalipuram Road, on the West by Tambaram - Velacherry Road, on the North by Velacherry Village and on the South by Kottivakkam-Karapakkam road.

The ecology has to be preserved and the entire marsh land has to be retrieved from the encroachers. In an effort to protect and preserve the lake and remove the encroachments, the court has asked the authorities to answer ten questions and directed the authorities to produce the original FM Sketch. The judge adjourned the matter to September 9.