HC orders notice to govt. on Parambikulam Aliyar Project.

The Madras High Court recently ordered notice to the State government on a plea seeking direction to the authorities to follow procedures laid down by statutory rules before releasing water under the Parambikulam Aliyar Project.

A. Shanmugasundaram, a resident of Udumalpet and a farmer by occupation, claimed in his petition that if the procedures are properly followed, it would provide adequate time to the farmers to make the preparatory works for cultivation before the release of water.

Admitting the plea, Justice B. Rajendran ordered notice returnable by two weeks and tagged the petitions along with similar other pleas.

According to the petitioner, the Public Works Department has been following the practice of making the announcement of water release just a day before the release, which was in total violation of the prevailing rules. He wanted the court to direct the authorities to publish the ‘Azmoish reports’ (The inspection report of lands and fields to record the details of crops raised, trees and wells in villages and assess the outturn of the crop) before releasing water as mentioned in the manual of the Revenue Administration Department, in the appropriate forums including the government website every month.

The petitioner also wanted the court to quash a Government Order dated September 10, announcing the release of water from the dams from the very next day.

THE HINDU