HC no to drawing of ground water for sale

Chennai, Feb 3 (PTI) Madras High Court today directed theGovernment not to allow any person to draw and sell groundwater until the Tamil Nadu Ground water Act was notified.

A Division of Bench comprising Justice Elipe Dharma Raoand Justice D.Hariparanthaman gave the interim direction on awrit appeal filed by New Tirupur Area Development CorporationLimited against a single Judge�s order.

The Bench said in order to protect ground water from thoseusing it for commercial purpose resulting in agriculturistssuffering for lack of water, "we consider it appropriate togive a direction to the Government, not to allow any person todraw and sell ground water till the notification is issued.�

The single judge had allowed the petitions by residents ofVeerapandi and Andipalyam villages near Tiruppur seeking toforbear New Tirupur Area Development Corporation Limited fromobstructing drawing of ground water from open wells andborewells belonging to them and transporting it through tankerlorries for domestic and drinking purposes.

The Government Pleader submitted that some amendments tothe Act were under consideration of the Government and itwould take some more time.

Passing an interim order, the Bench said though the Actwas enacted in 2003, the Government had not chosen to notifyit "for reasons best known to them."Moreover,in spite of twoorders, seeking report from the Government for notifying theTamil Nadu Ground Water(Developmnet and Management) Act 2003,the Government had not taken any steps."

The Bench posted the matter after four weeks.