Nesarajan. G v. The District Collector

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED: 27.02.2024

CORAM

THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE G.R.SWAMINATHAN and THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE B.PUGALENDHI G.Nesarajan ... Petitioner Vs.

1.The District Collector, Tirunelveli District, Tirunelveli.

2.The Revenue Divisional Officer, Cheranmahadevi, 3.The Executive Engineer, Public Works Department,P.W.D/W.R.O, Tirunelveli, 4.The Assistant Executive Engineer, Public Works Department,P.W.D/W.R.O, Valliyoor, 5.The Junior Engineer, Public Works Department,P.W.D/W.R.O, Vadakkankulam, 1/7

Radhapuram Taluk, 6.The Tahsildar, Radhapuram Taluk, 7.The Block Development Officer, Village Panchayat, Radhapuram Panchayat Union, Radhapuram, 8.G.Kandaswamy 9.P.Paulpandi Nadar 10.S.Tirumaniammal 11.T.Murugan 12.Narayanan 13.T.Appu @ Kuruswamy 14.N.Sudarsing 15.P.Manikandan 16.Y.Arul 17.T.Soundarapandi 18.M.Gunavathi 19.N.Rajaiah Nadar 20.A.Antony Muthu 2/7

21.P.Pushpam 22.P.Chandran 23.C.Murugan 24.Y.Kumar 25.S.Sakthivel 26.V.Subbiah 27.C.Duraisamy 28.Appu @ Duraisamy 29.S.Gopalakrishnan 30.V.Subbiah 31.Vincymaniarasu ... Respondents Prayer: Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of Constitution of India, to issue a Writ of Mandamus, directing the respondents 1 to 7 to remove the encroachments made by the respondents 8 to 31 in the Koodankulam Oodai, a water channel, run through the lands comprised in Survey Nos.327/6, 330/2B, 334/1A, 334/1B, 168/2, 169/2, 175/1, 176/2, 177/2, 181/1, 222/1, 223/2, 224/2, 225/2, 227/1, 250/2, 251/2, 256/1, 257/1, 254/2, 298/1, 300/2, 303/3, 304/2, 309/1A, 309/2, 310/1, 312/1, 327/6, 330/2B, 331/1B, 334/1A, 375/1B, 375/3B, 376/1B1B, 376/4B3B, 379/4B, 380/1A2, 380/1B, 380/2B, 383/2, 384/2, 385/2, 386/4, 386/6A, 391/1B, 391/2A2, 392/1B, 394/2A, 395/1B, 396/1A1, 396/1B, 396/3B, 397/1B, 417/2, 430/2, 431/3, 442/4, 444/3, 445/3, 449/3, 452/2, 452/4B, 452/7B, 452/9B1B, 453/2, 465/2, 468, 469/2, 470/2, 470/4, 480/1, 3/7

481/2, 484/3, 532/1, 536/2, 542/2, 544, 545/1, 545/3, 546/1, 546/3, 547/6, 550/2, 552/1, 555/3, 558, 673/2, 675/2, 679, 680/2, 683, 687/1, 727/10, 736/22, 783/2, 784/3, 785/4, 786/15, 794/1, 798/3 at Koodankulam Village, Radhapuram Taluk, Tirunelveli District by considering the complaints / representations of the petitioner dated 15.12.2023 and 14.02.2024 within a time frame as may be fixed by this Court.

For Petitioner : Mr.C.Aravinthan For Respondents : Mr.K.Balasubramani Special Government Pleader for R.1 to R.7

ORDER

Heard the learned counsel appearing for the writ petitioner and the learned Special Government Pleader appearing for the official respondents. Considering the nature of relief to be granted, issuance of notice to the private respondents is dispensed with.

2.The petitioner alleges that the private respondents herein have encroached upon the petition mentioned water body. The official instructing the learned Special Government Pleader also prima facie confirms the said allegation. Encroachments on water bodies cannot be permitted. 4/7

3.We therefore direct the sixth respondent to issue notices to all the private respondents herein and conduct survey. This exercise of survey shall be completed within a period of two months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. Once the survey exercise is completed, the exact extent of encroachment can also be duly identified. Thereafter, action for removal of the same will be taken as per law. We direct the official respondents to conclude the exercise of removal of encroachments also within a period of five months thereafter.

4.This writ petition is allowed on these terms. There shall be no order as to costs.

[G.R.S., J.] [B.P., J.] 27.02.2024 NCC : Yes / No Internet : Yes / No Index : Yes / No MGA To 1.The District Collector, Tirunelveli District, Tirunelveli.

2.The Revenue Divisional Officer, Cheranmahadevi, 5/7

3.The Executive Engineer, Public Works Department,P.W.D/W.R.O, Tirunelveli, 4.The Assistant Executive Engineer, Public Works Department,P.W.D/W.R.O, Valliyoor, 5.The Junior Engineer, Public Works Department,P.W.D/W.R.O, Vadakkankulam, Radhapuram Taluk, 6.The Tahsildar, Radhapuram Taluk, 7.The Block Development Officer, Village Panchayat, Radhapuram Panchayat Union, Radhapuram, 6/7

G.R.SWAMINATHAN, J and B.PUGALENDHI, J.

MGA 27.02.2024 7/7