NGT seeks reports on Nemilichery lake encroachment

CHENNAI: It was a duty cast on the State government and local bodies to maintain waterbodies, which play an important role in protecting the environment, said the southern bench of National Green Tribunal while taking a suo motu cognisance over media reports that miscreants had dumped construction and demolition waste into Nemilichery lake during the lockdown.

According to the report, the nearby fish market was also trying to encroach the lake to set up parking space. It added that though the local public had made representations to the authorities seeking action, nothing had changed on the ground.

Judicial member K Ramakrishnan and expert member Saibal Dasgupta said waterbody encroachments could not be encouraged. “Suitable action must be taken by the State authorities to remove the encroachments, and protect the waterbodies.”

“Any violation of Demolition and Construction Waste Management Rules, 2016, will have to be seriously looked into by the regulating authorities, and the construction and demolition waste are not expected to be dumped into the waterbodies indiscriminately to affect its existence itself,” added the bench.

The bench also directed the joint committee comprising Chengalpattu Collector, Executive Engineer, Public Works Department (PWD), Chengalpattu Division, and a senior official from the TNPCB to inspect the area in question and submit a status report and an action taken report within two months. The tribunal has also asked the committee to submit the report on any violations and environmental compensation imposed on the violators. According to the report, the lake was reduced to 10 acres from the original spread of 37 acres due to encroachments by residential buildings.