Taking note of the floods and landslips in Nilambur, a Division Bench of the High Court on Friday directed the Malappuram Collector to demolish a check-dam co-owned by Nilambur MLA P.V. Anwar at Cheenkannippalli of Kakkadampoyil Hills in Nilambur.
The Bench headed by Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy ordered demolition of the check-dam to enable free flow of water through the two natural streams that emptied into the dam.
‘When will we learn?’
The Bench orally wondered “when will we learn”, when the petitions came up for hearing. The court said that the expenses for the demolition would have to be borne by the owner of the check-dam. It further held that in view of the devastation, an inspection of the area should be undertaken by the District Collector and officers of the Irrigation and Mining and Geology departments during the monsoon season itself.
The court passed the directives on a writ petition filed by the All Kerala River Protection Council seeking to demolish the check-dam and another petition by C.K. Abdul Latheef, father-in-law of the MLA and owner of the dam, challenging the district administration’s decision to demolish the dam.
Daisy A. Philipose, counsel for the All Kerala River Protection Council, told the court that water had accumulated in the check-dam following rain and only a side of the dam had been demolished despite a High Court directive to pull it down for free flow of water. The accumulation of water could have been a trigger for a landslip 10 km from the dam site.
