The Madras High Court Bench here on Friday said that issues such as interlinking of rivers and diverting rainwater, that gets drained into the sea, to drought prone areas were under the exclusive domain of the government and hence courts could not issue any direction in that regard.
A Division Bench of Justices R. Sudhakar and V.M. Velumani made the observation while disposing of a public interest litigation petition filed by advocate K. Mani of Melur near here seeking a direction to the State government to divert rain ater from Kanyakumari to Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts.
“The objective behind the petition is laudable and there is a sustained request from various quarters to interlink rivers. But since it is a policy decision to be taken by the government, the role of courts in such issues is very limited,” the Bench observed while giving liberty to the petitioner to approach the State.
They stated that the petitioner could address his grievance to the government with the assistance of his elected representative and impress upon him the need for interlinking rivers.
