The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday directed the State government to file a counter in a public interest litigation petition that complained of illegal extraction of groundwater in Rameswaram.
A Division Bench of Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and P. Rajamanickam directed the State to file a counter on the steps taken to prevent illegal extraction of groundwater and a time frame to bring out a legislation in this regard.
The petitioner, J. John Amalraj, Secretary of the Ramanathapuram District Consumer Right Protection Association, complained that illegal water plants were functioning in Rameswaram and this resulted in depletion of water resources.
As per the information received under the Right to Information Act, only four persons were permitted to extract groundwater and sell them for commercial purpose in Rameswaram. However, illegal extraction of groundwater was taking place. He pointed out that the Tamil Nadu Ground Water (Development and Management) Act , 2003 which was the only legislation regulating the extraction of groundwater was repealed in 2013, with an object to bring out a better legislation.
But even after seven years, no proposals have been made to bring out legislation for regulation of groundwater. He sought a direction to the State to take action against illegal extraction of groundwater.
