Alleged siphoning from Amaravathi, HC pulls up Tiruppur collector

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday directed the Tiruppur collector and other revenue authorities to file a report about a petition alleging an illegal act of taking water from Amaravathi River in Manakkavadu village at Dharapuram Taluk, Thiruppur district.

A vacation bench of Justice GR Swaminathan and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy passed the direction on hearing a petition filed by K Kumarasamy, a resident of Kongur Village in the western district.

The petitioner prayed a direction from the court to Tiruppur collector, revenue divisional officer, Dharapuram Tahsildar, and block development officer to act against P Pazhanisamy for illegally drawing water from Amaravathi River.

"Pazhanisamy has been illegally drawing water from Amaravathi River for his personal use by digging a pit in a pathway by encroaching the same. Due to this illegal act, farmers and cattle in Manavakkadu village are highly affected, " the petitioner said in his plea.

He further noted that he had made representations in this regard to the respondent authorities but they did not take any reactions to stop the act of illegally fetching water from the Amaravathi River.

"The act of the offender poses threat to the agriculture and ecology of Manavakkadu and surrounding villages. It is also noted the water level will also come down due to this illegal act," Kumarasamy added.

Recording the submissions, the bench directed the collector and other authorities to file a report on June 7.