HC seeks report on water harvesting scheme

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday sought a status report on implementation of percolation ponds (pannai kuttai) water harvesting in Tenkasi district after a public interest litigation petition alleged misuse of the scheme

A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and B. Pugalendhi sought the report in a PIL petition filed by L. Seenivasakan from Tiruvengadam in Tenkasi district who alleged that the funds allotted for the scheme was being misused. The petitioner, an agriculturist, said a stream in Naranapuram village passed through two survey numbers and ended in Nirpidikulam kanmoi and people in the region used water from the stream for irrigation.

Under these circumstances, private parties had colluded with an Assistant Executive Engineer and obtained loan for setting up a water harvesting pond. This pond was set up by encroaching the stream, thereby affecting the flow of water to the kanmoi.

The scheme was misused and the funds wasted. A representation was sent to the authorities concerned to remove the encroachments, but till date no action had been taken, the petitioner said.

The court has directed the District Legal Services Authority to inspect the stream and the implementation of the scheme.