Madras high court impleads TN Chief Secy in plea to mark lakes, tanks

A division bench comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice P Rajamanickam before whom the plea came up on Friday directed the Chief Secretary to file a status report on the steps taken based on the March 2017 report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in this regard.

While issuing notice in this regard returnable by February 27, the bench also directed the Secretary, Public Works Department (PWD) to file a counter/status report regards compliance and adherence to citizens charter 2017 with supporting documents.

The petitioner V Munikrishnan from Cheyyar taluk had contended that in order to restrict encroachments the government had enacted The Tamil Nadu Land Encroachment Act 1905, the Tamil Nadu Protection of Tanks and Eviction of Encroachment Act 2007 and issued a Government Order in this regard in 1969.

But despite the above Acts and Government orders the encroachments have not been curtailed and the village, town and water resources administrators have not taken any action to prevent the said encroachments.

Noting that despite the government responding to his letter on June 27, 2018 assuring removal of encroachment in 40 lakes nothing has transpired so for, the petitioner sought the court to offer a direction to the PWD to lay permanent boundary stones for identifying lake area as per village, town and Corporation map and FMB sketch.