The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the authorities to take necessary steps to restore a waterbody (oorani) in Chinna Anuppanadi in Madurai and ensure that it is free from encroachment.
A Division Bench of Justices G.R. Swaminathan and B. Pugalendhi observed that unfortunately several government buildings had already been constructed on the waterbody. According to the counsel for the Madurai Corporation, some of these buildings were put up 30 to 40 years back, the court observed.
The court restrained the authorities from renovating building or carrying out any further constructions on the waterbody. If a building had become dilapidated, it should be demolished and the debris removed. By adopting this approach, it would be possible to restore the waterbody in 20 to 30 years, the court observed.
The court directed the jurisdictional Taluk Surveyor to conduct a survey of the waterbody on February 15. The Taluk Surveyor should also be accompanied by the Town Surveyor, Madurai Corporation. If encroachments were noticed, they should be removed immediately, the court directed.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Saravanan who sought a direction to the authorities to take appropriate action to remove encroachment and restore the waterbody.
Published - February 13, 2025 11:30 pm IST
