Chennai: Madras high court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to ensure proper implementation of the 15-year-old government order relating to compulsory installation of rainwater harvesting in all public and private buildings.
The first bench of then acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G. Ramesh and Justice S.S. Sundar, before which a PIL from K. Thenrajan came up for hearing, passed direction and directed the authorities to check if any violations were made in the scheme.
In the petition, Thenrajan said that the state made it compulsory to have rainwater harvesting structures in all the private and public structures in the state through a government order dated July 21, 2003. He alleged that GO has not been properly implemented. Hence, he sought the court to direct the state to monitor proper implementation of the Go and to impose fine for the owners of the buildings who have failed to put up a rainwater harvesting structure in their premises.
Disposing of the plea the bench said, “It appears that there are some violations of the government order then and there. In this connection, it is needless to state that the local administration concerned must take care of the violations and to see that the order must be implemented, and things are set right.
If the petitioner has any specific grievance, he can make a representation to the authorities concerned pointing out specific instances of violations and it is for the authorities to consider and set right the things, in accordance with law.”
