MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court disposed of a petition seeking directions to construct a check dam across Valaiyar River in Theni district after the state government submitted that appropriate action would be taken based on feasibility and technical study.
Hearing the petition filed by T Kanthasoroopan, retired DSP and president of Arroor village committee from Theni district, a division bench of Justices R Suresh Kumar and G Arul Murugan noted that the government pleader has submitted that the work is in progress as feasibility and technical stability studies will be taken up.
In the petition, Kanthasoroopan said the main occupation of the people of Bodhipuram, Vazhaiaythupatti, Athipatti, Manjinayakkanpatti, Koppuranganpatti and Valayapatti is agriculture and they have been depending on wells. As of today, the water levels in most of the wells have decreased, and most people are struggling to fetch drinking water.
As people are struggling to continue with agricultural activities due to water scarcity, a check dam must be constructed on the Valaiyar, which flows adjacent to these villages. The construction of the check dam was proposed pre-independence and the government had proposed the construction in 2023, but no progress has been made, he submitted.