File report on fatal accidents caused by water tankers: High Court

A division bench comprising Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice Krishnan Ramaswamy issued the direction while hearing a plea by Konambedu Gramma Pothu Nalla Sangham seeking removal of encroachments, including illegal water filing stations, from a lake in Avadi. 

The bench sought the police to file a detailed report on the causes for involvement of tanker lorries in more number of accidents, whether the lorries are driven by expert drivers, the number of water tankers entering into the city, whether tanker lorries have to be licensed separately for transporting water and why shouldn’t the authorities check and prevent unauthorised exploitation of water sources. 

The petition contended that the Thattankulam lake was encroached and the land around it were being used for drawing water illegally for commercial purposes. Though the revenue survey defined the land as public path and public place for thrashing crops, the land was encroached upon by land grabbers, who put up illegal construction including shops, it added. 

Also, a place of worship has already been built in the space while another is coming up, the petition pointed out, adding that it was to give it a religious colour and thereby legalise the encroachment. The water mafia, which is using the lake land to illegally draw water, was very powerful in that area, the petition alleged, and said several complaints to the authorities had failed to evoke any response. The bench directed revenue authorities to conduct a surprise inspection on the alleged encroachments and file a report within eight weeks.