Why karuvelam trees not removed, asks Madras high court

CHENNAI: The Madras high court has pulled up the Public Works Department and the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department for not removing the karuvelam trees (Prosopis Julifora) from the water body as well as the water course, despite direction given by the Full Bench of this court.

A division bench comprising Justices M.Sathyanarayanan and B.Pugalendhi disposed of a petition from M.Tamilselvi, which sought a direction to the authorities to remove the encroachments allegedly made by M/s Suzlan Gujarat Wind Park Ltd in Akkanayakkanpatti channel situated in Akkanayakkanpatti village, Ottapidaram Taluk, Thoothukudi district and restore the channel in its original position.

According to the petitioner, there exists 600 acres of nanjai lands, which purely depend upon the water from the water channel running from Akkanayakkanpatti to Maniyachi having a six feet and the said channel reaches to the western side of ‘South Kulam’ and it was the major feeding channel for the said water body and it was located in Akkanayakkanpatti village and it was in existence for very many years. In order to store and augment the water resources, the Tamil Nadu Watershed Development Agency (TWDA), in the year 2011-2012 constructed a check dam across

Akkanayak-kanpatti channel. While so, M/s Suzlan Gujarat Wind Park Ltd, under the guise of putting up a wind mill, was putting up construction in such a way that it blocks the said channel and also encroached upon the land and despite representation by the petitioner, no response was forthcoming, and hence, the petitioner has filed the present petition, she added.

The bench said, “A perusal of the photographs produced by the counsel for the petitioner disclose that a large water body is full of Karuvelam trees (Prosopis Juliflora) and so also the water ways (channel) and despite direction passed by the Full Bench of this court to remove the exotic trees from the water body as well as from the water course, the PWD and MAWSD appear to have turned a blind eye and as a consequence, whatever remain as water bodies are getting obliterated and day is not far off where the State may not have the benefit of any water bodies to store water in the event of monsoon.”

The bench said this court, in the light of the facts and circumstances and without going into the merits of the claim raised either in the representation or in the petition, directs the Special Officer, TWDA, to issue notice to the petitioner as well as M/s Suzlan Gujarat Wind Park Ltd and cause inspection of Akkanayakkanpatti village, Ottapidaram Taluk, Thoothukudi district, to find out as to the existence of any encroachment or blocking of the channel in the form of construction or obstruction, and depending upon the result of the inspection, shall pass orders on the representation submitted by the petitioner and communicate the decision taken to the petitioner as well as M/s Suzlan Gujarat Wind Park Ltd.