HC wants govt to crack down on illegal water units

CHENNAI: Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the State government to initiate action against all illegal drinking water packaging units in Tamil Nadu by registering criminal cases against them. The two-member bench of Justices Vineet Kothari and MS Ramesh directed the State to introduce a policy within four weeks on levying charges for extracting groundwater for commercial purposes.

The case pertains to a batch of Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed by various persons seeking to stop illegal tapping of groundwater across the State for commercial purposes. When the plea came up for hearing on Wednesday, special government pleader J Pothiraj submitted that of the identified 1,086 illegal drinking water packaging units operating in the State, 396 have been closed and others regulated.

Also, 357 are yet to comply with the conditions mandated by the High Court, he added. The court soon observed that packaging units have been misusing the relaxation provided by the court in view of the pandemic and wondered why the State did not act against such units and close them. The bench then said that the relaxation that was earlier granted by the court now stands withdrawn.

“Pandemic is the word that scares everyone and the State should not get scared by it since it has to protect the people,” observed the bench. The State also submitted that in safe and semi-critical areas, 690 units have been issued No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and permitted to operate.

A fresh survey for reclassification of overexploited groundwater zones was initiated stands completed in the State. Survey of safe, critical, and semi-critical zones will be completed by March 2021, the State counsel added.  Recording the submissions, the bench posted the pleas to November 19 for the State to file the compliance and status report.