S.P.Surendranath Karthik v. Chief Secretary
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED : 25.03.2022 CORAM :
THE HON'BLE MR.MUNISHWAR NATH BHANDARI, CHIEF JUSTICE AND THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE D.BHARATHA CHAKRAVARTHY W.P.No.19988 of 2020 S.P.Surendranath Karthik .. Petitioner Vs
1. The Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu, Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai, Fort St. George, Chennai - 600 009.
2. The Special Officer, Chief Minister's Special Cell, Secretariat, Chennai - 600 009.
3. The Engineer-in-Chief, Water Resources Organisation, Public Works Department, Chepauk, Chennai - 600 005.
4. The Member-Secretary, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, 'Thalamuthu-Natarajan Maaligai, No.1, Gandhi Irwin Road, Egmore, Chennai - 600 008.
.. Respondents Prayer: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying for a writ of mandamus directing the respondents to frame disaster management and contingency plan along with standard operating procedure for the purpose of ensuring that the excess water from the reservoirs are utilized for recharge and restoration of the ground water and existing water bodies before the same is let out directly to the sea.
For the Petitioner : No Appearance For the Respondents : Mr.J.Ravindran Addl. Advocate General assisted by Mr.S.J.Mohamed Sathik Addl. Government Pleader for respondent Nos.1 to 3 : Mrs.P.Veena Suresh for respondent No.4
ORDER
(Order of the court was made by the Hon'ble Chief Justice) None appears for the petitioner. Mr.J.Ravindran, learned Additional Advocate General, appears on behalf of respondents 1 to 3 and Mrs.P.Veena Suresh, learned counsel, appears on behalf of the fourth respondent.
2. The writ petition was filed to seek a direction on the respondents to frame disaster management and contingency plan along with standard operating procedure for the purpose of ensuring that the excess water from the reservoirs are utilized for recharge and restoration of the ground water.
3. An additional counter-affidavit has been filed on behalf of respondents 1 to 3 along with a composite action plan on the issue raised by the petitioner. The time limit for execution of the composite action plan has also been indicated. Learned Additional Advocate General submitted that the respondent authorities would strictly adhere to the composite action plan and the time frame indicated therein.
4. In view of the above, the writ petition is disposed of with a direction to the respondent authorities to strictly adhere to the composite action plan and the time schedule indicated therein. As the disaster management and contingency plan along with standard operating procedure is for the benefit of the public at large, any delay in implementation would be taken serious note of, more so when the action plan and the time
frame have been conceived by the respondents after taking all relevant aspects into consideration.
There will be no order as to costs.
Sd/- Assistant Registrar True Copy// Sub Assistant Registrar sasi To
1. The Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu, Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai, Fort St. George, Chennai - 600 009.
2. The Special Officer, Chief Minister's Special Cell, Secretariat, Chennai - 600 009.
3. The Engineer-in-Chief, Water Resources Organisation, Public Works Department, Chepauk, Chennai - 600 005.
4. The Member-Secretary, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, 'Thalamuthu-Natarajan Maaligai, No.1, Gandhi Irwin Road, Egmore, Chennai - 600 008.
+1cc to Mrs.P.Veena Suresh, Advocate, S.R.No.20249 W.P.No.19988 of 2020 MG[co] NSK 31/03/2022