Chennai: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought a report from the Tamil Nadu chief secretary on district-wise encroachments on waterbodies, wetlands and river poramboke land.
Following newspaper reports concerning the same, Justice Pushpa Satyanarayan and Satyagopal Korlapati of the tribunal took up the matter suo motu.
The tribunal has also sought a list of encroachments in the form of cultivation, temporary or permanent habitations and commercial buildings and a plan of action to evict them.
It has sought a report on the number of waterbodies in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kanchipuram that have been affected.
The NGT has sought details on the extent of wetlands (natural and manmade) and rivers that have been allotted to government departments for the construction of commercial and residential buildings.
The tribunal has directed the Tamil Nadu government to provide information on the extent of water storage capacity as per tank records and how much storage capacity is lost due to the shrinkage of waterbodies.
The tribunal has also sought details on schemes launched since 2015 for increasing the water-storing capacity in Chennai and its neighbourhood by new reservoirs, in-stream reservoirs and deepening of waterbodies.
The NGT also observed that the agencies responsible for the protection and maintenance of the waterbodies and flood plains as well as those responsible for urban planning are found wanting.
It also stated that the neglect and damage to natural resources continue unabated. Shrinking of waterbodies, disappearance and disruption of inlet and outlet channels and damage to rivers and floodplains are rampant, the tribunal said.
With agency inputs