HC orders DAE to maintain status quo on ‘waterbody’

The Madras High Court has ordered the General Services Organisation, Department of Atomic Energy, Kalpakkam, to maintain status quo on 3.2 acres of land, classified as a waterbody.

It is alleged that an attempt was made by the organisation to construct a multi-storey building on the land.

PIL moved

A vacation Bench of Justice N. Kirubakaran and Justice M.V. Muralidharan passed the order on a PIL moved by R. Krishnasamy, a resident of Kalpakkam. According to the petitioner, the Department of Atomic Energy had illegally acquired land classified as

kuttai (water body) at Neikkuppi village, Kalpakkam.

The waterbody was maintained by the Public Works Department and was a primary source of water for the village and its neighbouring areas.”

“In 2012, in order to construct a 16-storey building, the respondent sought a no-objection resolution from the Neikkuppi village panchayat, which refused to give consent.”

“However, the respondent proceeded to construct the building abutting the water body, in violation of law,” the petitioner said.

Alleging that the department again proposed to build a similar building encroaching on the waterbody, the petitioner moved the court.

Ordering status quo, the Bench posted the PIL to the second week of July for further hearing.

PIL claims that Department of Atomic Energy has illegally acquired a land classified as kuttai (waterbody)