Madras HC summons chief secretary for inaction on squatters – Times of India

CHENNAI: Irked over the state’s inaction on encroachers of waterbodies, the Madras high court on Wednesday summoned Tamil Nadu chief secretary Irai Anbu to explain why these squatters not been removed even after several court orders. Expressing its dismay over the inaction, the court wondered whether officials are paid a salary to simply sit in their rooms.
The first bench of acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice P D Audikesavalu made the observations while hearing a batch of 108 petitions filed over years seeking action against such encroachments.
“We will go behind every officer responsible for the illegality. We will not spare anyone,” the court said.
The court added that it was only because of the failure to protect the water bodies that there is no place for excess water to accumulate therefore resulting in flooding.
Referring to the fundamental duties of every citizen enshrined in the Constitution, the bench said the government alone can’t be blamed as citizens too are at fault. It is the Constitutional duty of every citizen to protect the environment, the judges pointed out.
Earlier, the advocate-general of Tamil Nadu filed a status report on behalf of Anbu. However, the court refused to accept it citing lack of information sought for by the court.
The order to ascertain the number of waterbodies across the state and file a compilation was passed in January 2019, but so far officials are still gathering information, the court said.
The bench further added that the state’s stand that a certain section of encroachers must be rehabilitated by providing alternative space cannot be endorsed by the court. As a policy, the state can decide to provide alternative space but removal of encroachments cannot be delayed for such a reason, it said.