COIMBATORE: The Madras High Court has directed an advocate commissioner to inspect seven lakes in Coimbatore to ascertain the extent of encroachments and verify whether sewage is being discharged into the waterbodies.
The court directed the district collector to extend all necessary assistance for the inspection. It has also directed the amici curiae to visit the Sadivayal Camp and make a detailed observation and file a report with regard to the crowd and its impact besides requirement of anti-poaching watchers in the forest region by November 27.
A division bench comprising Justices N Sathish Kumar and D Lingeswaran issued the directions while hearing W.P. No. 27356 of 2019. The lakes to be inspected are Ukkadam lake (Periyakulam), Valankulam, Narasampathy, Krishnampathy, Selvampathy, Kumarasamy lake (also known as Muthannan Kulam) and Selvachinthamani lake.
The advocate commissioner has been directed to submit a report before the next hearing scheduled for January 8, 2027.
The bench also directed the tahsildar to furnish complete particulars of encroachments in all the lakes, except Singanallur lake, to enable the advocate commissioner to prepare the report. The district administration was instructed to provide the necessary facilities for carrying out the inspection.
In the case of Singanallur lake, the advocate commissioner sought additional time to submit the report.
Meanwhile, Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja submitted a status report informing the bench that the operation of motorised boats at Ukkadam Periyakulam lake has been completely stopped and boats powered by petrol engines were no longer in operation.
The report further stated that there has been no further extension or expansion of the existing floating solar installation at Periyakulam lake.
The commissioner also informed the court that the sewage treatment plants (STPs) serving Ukkadam Periyakulam and Valankulam lakes were functioning. He assured the bench that the civic body would continue monitoring and maintaining the facilities.
Water hyacinth has also been removed from the lakes, and periodic monitoring, maintenance and remedial measures would continue, the official said.
The bench directed the corporation commissioner to submit a fresh status report, along with the technical advisory committee's reports on the sewage treatment plants and photographs, at the next hearing on December 18. The court noted that these documents and photographs were not provided during the previous hearing on October 16.
The bench also sought an explanation from the district collector on why the district wetlands management committee had not been constituted and why no meeting of the committee had been convened so far.
