MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court sought a status report from the state government on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed to stop the ongoing new drinking water borewell project in the Kollidam River.
The litigant K Gajendran, assistant secretary of Kollidam Aaru Padhukappu Nala Sangam, submitted that the river provides water for agricultural activities in Anbil and 20 other villages in Tiruchy district. He added that it also serves as the drinking water in southern and northern sections of Tamil Nadu.
Due to illegal mining, there has been water scarcity in Kollidam river for the past 25 years, Gajendran alleged. Though the villagers of Anbil have requested a check dam in Kollidam for the last seven years, the state government has not considered this and is instead trying to set up a new drinking water borewell in the area, he added. A Bench of justices SS Sundar and D Bharatha Chakravarthy issued notice and adjourned the case for filing a status report.