CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has ordered notices to the Highways department, electricity board, Metrowater and the Greater Chennai Commissioner of Police, on a public interest litigation petition seeking removal of all forms of encroachments and an end to unauthorised tapping of power by political parties. The First Bench comprising Chief Justice A.P.Shah and Justice Prabha Sridevan ordered the notices on the petition filed by K. Gandhikumar of Chennai. He contended that encroachments on public land and platforms had reduced road space, resulting in increase in accidents.

Official lapse

Referring to encroachments on the main drinking water supply route from the Red Hills lake to the Kilpauk water station, he said the authorities concerned had failed to keep the protected zone free from encroachments. The hutments and toilets posed the threat of contamination. The authorities had turned a blind eye when the dwelling units and commercial establishments were being constructed on the route.

The petitioner claimed that Chennai city had over 4,000 temples, churches and mosques on public land. During festivals most of them illegally tapped electricity. Even political parties indulged in such a practice during their meetings. The financial burden of all such unlawful consumption was finally passed on to the public.

Order cited

Pointing out that the Madurai Bench of the High Court had ordered removal of all forms of encroachments in the region, the petitioner said the scope of the order must be expanded and made "equally applicable to the entire territorial jurisdiction of the High Court... " He said representations to authorities had not evoked a response.

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