Remove encroachments in Painkattuvayal lake in Thanjavur district: HC to officials

Madurai: Madras high court has directed the authorities to take steps to remove encroachments in Painkattuvayal lake in Thanjavur district.The court was hearing a petition filed by M Raja Prabhu, president of the Pattukkottai United Youth Association. The petitioner stated that the Painkattuvayal lake in Pattukottai taluk measuring about 105 hectares and 19 cents has now been reduced to a tiny pond on account of the plantation activities carried out by private individuals.Hence, the petitioner moved court seeking a direction to the authorities to remove the encroachments on the lake. The petitioner also sought a direction to the authorities to permit his organisation, residents, volunteers and other NGOs to restore the lake to its original position.A division bench of Justice G R Swaminathan and Justice B Pugalendhi directed the Pattukottai tahsildar to conduct a survey of the lake in the presence of the petitioner and the encroachers. Based on the outcome of the survey, notices shall be issued to the encroachers. The water resource department shall clear all the encroachments with fullest assistance of police, the bench said.Once the encroachments are cleared, the petitioner is permitted to carry out all the remedial steps so that the lake is restored to its original condition. Since the petitioner’s association is a registered body whose main object is restoration of water bodies, we permit them to restore the water body to its original condition out of their own funds, the judges observed.