Ensure adequate water supply across Tamil Nadu: HC

A division bench comprising Justices Vineet Kothari and R Suresh Kumar also directed the State to provide status report about their strategy to meet such situation and plan to distribute the water equally throughout the State.

The bench also directed the State to submit a status report on the working of desalination plants in the State – the existing plants and expansion plans – as against the requirement. It also sought for details on the implementation of ‘Amma Drinking Water Scheme’.

Also, citing the status report wherein 1,054 applications were received for grant of license wherein 364 units were in overexploited/critical firkhas and therefore not eligible to get no-objection certificate, the bench directed the government to process the remaining 690 applications in safe and semi-critical areas within two weeks instead of the three months as sought by the government.

“We make it clear that if the officials are not able to deal with the 690 applications within two weeks, they will be made personally liable and may be asked to deposit similar security deposit of Rs 50,000 to the court holding them personally liable,” the bench led by Justice Vineet Kothari said. “We feel prima facie that, once the 690 water purifying units are granted such NOC, their production should adequately meet the needs of the people.”