HC cracks whip on squatters, tainted babus

 HC cracks whip on squatters, tainted babus

---

Sureshkumar.k@timesgroup.com

23.01.2022

Chennai: Noting that the court cannot turn a Nelson’s eye towards the calculated attempts of unscrupulous elements, with the connivance of revenue officials to encroach waterbodies, the Madras high court has ordered immediate action against such officials.

“This court cannot be a mute spectator to such acts. The judicial sword has to definitely cut through the web so that water, which is the source of livelihood of the living beings, is passed on generation after generation,” Justice M Dhandapani said.

With equal force, the officials, who had refrained from taking any action on such encroachment should also be dealt with in accordance with law, he added.

The hight court passed the order while dismissing a plea moved by Annamalai, a resident of Tiruvallur challenging disconnection of electricity supply to his property on the ground that it was an encroachment on a water body.

Appalled over the manner in which such encroachments are made, and legal colour is given to the same with the collusion of revenue officials, the court suo motu impleaded the commissioner of revenue administration and passed the order.

Justice Dhandapani directed the commissioner to find out the officer who aided the encroachment and take immediate action against them.

“The revenue and electricity department officials, throwing caution and vigilance to the winds, unmindful of the environmental impact created by the act of encroachment on water bodies, provide the persons, like the petitioner and his vendor with electricity connection and what not,” Justice Dhandapani said.

Thereby, the future generations are deprived of storage space for water, even at times of incessant rains, but face acute water shortage during peak summer, which destabilises the life and livelihood of the persons living in the locality, Justice Dhandapani added.