A PIL litigant today sought to
appoint an expert committee in every district of Tamil Nadu to find out the PWD tanks and Panchayat tanks, which had disappeared, as well as the channels and Canals that fed them water and restore them.
Stating the main reason for the flood havoc in Chennai and other places was the failure to protect the water channels and tanks and lakes, the petitioner submitted that an expert committee should survey every tank and channel and restore them to their original area. They should also meet every month to discuss about the action taken to protect the tanks and water bodies and send report to the government on monthly basis.
Justice V Ramasubramanian and Justice N Kirubakaran said the court had already asked the government to remove the encroachments and no permission should be for housing plots.
The concerned officials should be made accountable if sanction was given for building in water bodies.The government should file a report on the status of tanks in the state now. If the No objection certificate had been issued violating the court order then action should be taken against the officials.
The case had been posted for hearing on Dec 12.
