Complaining that water catchment area was being allotted for proposed development projects under the Smart Cities Mission in Thoothukudi, a public interest litigation petition filed before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday sought a direction to forbear the authorities from going ahead.
A Division Bench of Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and B. Pugalendhi ordered notice to the respondents, including the Thoothukudi district administration, and adjourned the case to August 5 for further hearing.
The petitioner, S. M. A. Pon Gandhimathi Nathan of Thoothukudi, said that as part of the Smart Cities Mission 15 parks that included Science Park, Traffic Park and other such development projects were proposed for the city. The respondents had identified a space in front of V.O.C. College, Palayamkottai Road, which, as per revenue records, is a catchment area.
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Even after a representation was made to the authorities concerned, they failed to initiate any action in this regard. If the project was allowed to go ahead, it could affect the waterbody. Therefore the authorities must be restrained from putting up the proposed parks on the water catchment area, the petitioner said.