Chennai, June 23:
The National Green Tribunal (Southern Zone) has sharply questioned the lack of progress in removing encroachments from the Velachery Lake and urged the Tamil Nadu government to take decisive action to restore water bodies.
Hearing a petition seeking the removal of encroachments in Velachery Lake, the bench comprising Judicial Member Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and Expert Member Prashant Gargava expressed concern that no significant progress had been made since the case was filed in 2020.
The tribunal observed that several government departments, including the Highways Department, Housing Board, and Urban Habitat agencies, were among the major encroachers of the lake’s catchment areas. It noted that while governments may change, officials remain the same, questioning the continued inaction.
In a strong remark, the tribunal suggested that the new government could create history by actively engaging in lake restoration efforts, pointing out that large-scale water body creation has not been seen since the era of Emperor Ashoka.
The bench also issued a warning that if flooding occurs in Velachery during the monsoon season, government officials would be held accountable. It directed the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department to submit a detailed report on the steps taken to restore the lake by July 28.
The case has been adjourned to the same date for further hearing.