In 2024, R Punniyamurthy (56), a farmer from Kariyapatti village near Sengipatti in Thanjavur district, found his four cows lying dead near a water body in the village. He found that the animals had drunk the effluent-mixed water from the pond.

Upon inspecting the spot, he found that a private firm was discharging effluent into the water body, which has rendered the water poisonous. Soon, he approached the private firm for compensation, and he staged a protest along with a few farmers from the locality. But the private firm refused to give compensation.

Subsequently, he approached the Thanjavur Principal Sub Court and filed a petition appealing for compensation. The case was in progress, and on Thursday, Judge P Kumar, who heard the case, ordered the private firm to disburse compensation of Rs 1.50 lakh to Punniyamurthy, with 6 per cent interest.