State restrained from desilting Puzhal lake

The Division Bench comprising Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice S Bhaskaran, before whom a writ petition from C Venkatachalapathy seeking for a direction to assess the environmental impact cast upon illegal quarrying and to take steps to restore the environmental conditions in Puzhal Lake, also directed the police to provide protection to the petitioner who feared for his safety and life from the sand mining mafia owing to his filing of the present writ petition.

The petitioner had contended that Naravarikuppam village located at Madhavaram Taluk, Redhills has been identified and permission was given to quarry gravel. However, machines which can dig up to 20 feet are actively engaged in quarrying sand /gravel/savudu and duplicate bills are used. Around 100 lorries are actively engaged in quarrying. But based on this permit, the sand mafia has now encroached upon the Puzhal Lake and has resorted to quarrying sand inside the lake illegally.

He further alleged that by using about 30 to 40 HP motors, water is being pumped out to carry on quarrying in the North Western part of Puzhal Lake as well as Kannigaiperu Lake.

His counsel Purushothaman contended that if the government is keen on desilting the lake they must do it during summer and not during the rainy season and that too in a lake which is the main source of drinking water to Chennai city.

When the petition came up for hearing, the bench asked the government pleader to produce the copy of the permissions granted for which the GP submitted that it will be produced on Tuesday. The matter has been posted for further hearing to August 16.