CHENNAI: Will deprivation of water, both for drinking and irrigations, amount to violation of human rights? This question has been raised by the Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission, which has ruled in the affirmative.
Poor maintenance of reservoirs without regular desilting, environmental degradation and depletion of groundwater affecting the eco system and the denial of clean and rejuvenating environment are recognized as human rights violation in the present context of worldwide climate change and environmental degradation. Therefore, deprivation of these rights to livelihood will amount to violation of human rights, Jayanthi, IAS (retired), a member of the SHRC, has said.
The member was passing orders on June 29 on a complaint from farmers and people of Vakkampatti, Kummampatti, Veerakkal, Chithalagundu, Pithalaipatti, Ponmanthurai, Soottathupatti and Anaipatti villages in Dindigul district.
Stating that Article 39 (a) of the Constitution, which was a Directive Principle of State Policy, suggested that the State should, in particular, direct its policy towards ensuring that the citizens, men and women equally, had the right to an adequate means of livelihood, the Commission directed the PWD and Revenue departments to take up the cleaning and desilting of channels leading to the Kamarajar Sagar dam under the rural employment schemes. The shutter and sluice gates which were in disrepair should be immediately attended to.
Dindigul Collector should furnish the records of any pre-dam formulation before a GO dated July 27, 1951 by which the dam was constructed. The findings and reports of the then Tahsildar/ RDO / Collector which would have taken into account the needs of the existing ayacutdars at that time, should also be made available for this.