MADURAI
A public interest litigation petition filed before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday objected to the National Highways Authority of India’s plans to construct a road over Samuthiram Lake in Thanjavur.
A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and S. S. Sundar ordered notice to the NHAI and adjourned hearing in the case.
The petitioner, N. Ramamoorthy of Thanjavur, said that the lake was one of the main water sources in Thanjavur. The NHAI had planned to build a road across the lake as part of Vikravandi-Thanjavur highway project. He said that this would severely affect the waterbody.
Water from the lake was a source for drinking, agriculture and other such activities, which would be affected if the NHAI went ahead with the construction of the road across the lake, he said.
He claimed that the authorities had simply gone ahead with the plan without conducting a public hearing as mandated by the Supreme Court. Even after agitations were held and representations were sent to authorities, no action was taken, he said. He sought a direction to restrain the NHAI from constructing the road across the lake.
