CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday told the State government to take steps to clear encroachments on the bank and bed of Buckingham Canal.
When a PIL regarding the matter came up for hearing, the first bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy asked the government to evict encroachments and restore the canal to its old condition. It will be a great service to the city if encroachments are removed, the bench said.
Referring to the amicus curiae SR Ragunathan’s submission that all encroachments on the canal and its banks must be removed and a scheme for rehabilitation of dislocated locals be framed, the bench said such a rehabilitation will amount to encouraging the squatters.
In another case relating to dumping of trash on Buckingham Canal at Mahabalipuram, the bench asked whether people entering the UNESCO heritage town are paying fee to venture into a garbage-zone.