Madras High Court: Don't allow pleas on encroaching water bodies
At the last hearing, several collectors filed their report.
Chennai: The Madras high court has prevented subordinate courts from entertaining petitions with regard to encroachments on water bodies in the state.
When a petition filed by K. Shanmugasundaram of Erode district came up for hearing, the Division Bench comprising Justice Huluvadi G. Ramesh and Justice RMT Teekaa Raman directed the police to use reasonable force if required to evict the encroachers on water bodies.
The bench had directed appearance of 13 district collectors, who did not file reports with regard to removal of encroachments in the water bodies and directed them to file the status and progress reports in the next hearing.
On behalf of the 13 collectors the secretary of revenue department, Government of Tamil Nadu, Chandra Mohan appeared on Thursday before the bench. At the last hearing, several collectors filed their report.
The matter relates to a petition from Iyarkai Valam Matrum Perumballa Odai Padukappu Nala Sangam of Erode District, represented by its president K. Shanmugasundaram seeking to protect water bodies from the encroachment and in particular seeking to remove the encroachments to ensure the free flow of water in Perumballa Odai of Erode district.