Status report sought on plea to renovate damaged jetty in Thondi

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday sought a status report from Ramanathapuram collector on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed to renovate a damaged jetty in Thondi town panchayat.

The litigant, I Kalanthar Ashik Ahamed of Ramanathapuram, submitted that the jetty was constructed under Sethu Samuthiram Project 20 years ago in Thondi, extending up to one km away from the seashore. It functioned as a small port and was used by the fishermen to bring their catch from the boats to the shore, he added.

However, after the project was stopped, the jetty became damaged due to a lack of proper maintenance and is on the verge of collapsing. Unaware of the damage and the risk, the general public is using the jetty as a tourist spot to get a view of the sea, he said, requesting the court to direct the authorities to renovate the jetty and restrict the public from using it.

A Bench of justices D Krishnakumar and R Vijayakumar, who heard the plea, instructed the authorities to take necessary steps to install barricades and deploy police personnel to stop people from using the jetty. They further sought a status report from the authorities and adjourned the case to February 6.