Plea seeks enforcement of fishing ban in Thiruneermalai lake

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the Kancheepuram Collector and the District Fisheries Development Agency there to consider a representation to stop alleged illegal fishing activities at Thiruneermalai lake in Pallavaram Taluk.

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, before which a public interest litigation moved in this regard came up, directed the authorities to consider the representation and dispose it of within eight weeks after providing a reasonable opportunity to all the parties affected to present their side.

While disposing of the plea, the bench also made it clear that it has not gone into the merits of the matter.

The petitioner had submitted that Thiruneermalai lake is the principal source of water for all the surrounding agricultural lands and a source of drinking water in Pallavaram. Considering its importance, the assistant engineer, Department of Water Source Irrigation Division, Pallavaram, had issued instructions to the executive engineer, Water Resource Organisation, Public Works Department, not to grant lease for fishing in the lake for 2019- 2020 on account of the polluted condition of the waterbody. However, one Amutha and others continued to undertake fishing in the polluted lake. Despite several representations, no action had come forth, and fishing was continuing in the already polluted lake, the petitioner alleged.