CHENNAI: Finally, packaged drinking water units ended their strike on Wednesday, hours after the Madras High Court allowed the sealed units to submit fresh applications to obtain licence within the next 15 days. The court, however, has asked the erring units to deposit `50,000 each, for the illegality committed by them till date. It has also ordered the formation of district-level monitoring committees to keep a tab on these units.     

The indefinite strike began on February 26, after the court directed the government to close units functioning without licence. Passing the interim order, a division bench comprising Justices Vineet Kothari and R Suresh Kumar directed all the sealed units to submit applications afresh to ensure compliance of conditions imposed in a 2014 GO.

The court also directed all principal district judges of the 32 districts to constitute a committee of two advocates having a minimum experience of 10 years, empowering them to inspect the units. The advocate-general was asked to find out and update if the government was charging industries for the groundwater, if the charges are based on quantity of water extracted, and if there is a slab system for charges according to areas where the units are located. The case has been adjourned to March 13.   

A whopping 103 units were shut in Tiruvallur on Tuesday. Across the State, 552 units were sealed, of which 73 are in Chennai. The units’ association was not happy with the court order. About 75% units are located in over-exploited areas and hence, getting permission is unlikely, it said. “The court told the government to take a fresh survey to identify new groundwater critical areas. Then there is a better chance of such units to get licences,” said J Ananthanarayanan, president of the association. Though the strike has been called off, a shortage of 30-40 per cent will be experienced in the city, he said.  Since in the next two weeks, more number of water units will be sealed, it is difficult for the situation to come back to normal soon, he said.