CHENNAI: The Madras High Court questioned the legal basis for changing the classification of the Semmencherry waterbody, and warned that action would be taken against the officials concerned.
In 2019, Arappor Iyakkam filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Madras High Court seeking the removal of a police station that has been constructed on the Semmencherry waterbody.
The case came up for hearing before Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and G Arul Murugan. During the hearing, the state government sought time for arguments.
Expressing strong dissatisfaction, the judges noted that the 61-hectare waterbody has now shrunk drastically. Pointing out that the Semmencherry Thamaraikani Lake, recorded as a waterbody in the Revenue Department documents, has been reclassified as "Meikkal land" (grazing land), the judges questioned on what authority this land was reclassified.
They remarked that the revenue records have lost their sanctity and observed that not only the police station, but several other buildings have been constructed over the waterbody.
Warning that orders may be passed to demolish all of them, the judges said that action may be ordered against the officials responsible for reclassifying the waterbody and adjourned the hearing to January 27.