The Madras High Court, on Monday, expressed its displeasure over non-compliance of a slew of directions issued by it to the Tamil Nadu government on January 27 to prevent unauthorised occupation of lands classified as water bodies in revenue records. The court warned that it would be constrained to summon the Chief Secretary if its orders were not implemented in letter and spirit within the next 10 days.
Miffed over a number of writ petitions continued to be filed regarding alleged encroachment of water bodies, the first Division Bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N. Mala wondered why the government had not implemented the January 27 order effectively. The court also imposed costs of Rs. 25,000 on one of the government officials for having failed to remove encroachments.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Bhandari and Justice P.D. Audikesavalu had, early this year, ordered demarcation of boundaries of all water bodies in the State in accordance with details available in Tamil Nilam website and ordered removal of all encroachments by issuing notices either under the Tamil Nadu Protection of Tanks and Eviction of Encroachment Act of 2007 or the Tamil Nadu Land Encroachment Act of 1905.
