Madras HC raps government over police station on waterbody

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday questioned the state government on whether it can encroach upon a waterbody land to construct a police station by flouting its own law, instead of protecting such waterbodies. The first bench of chief justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and justice Sunder Mohan raised the question while hearing a public interest litigation petition filed by Arappor Iyakkam against the construction of the Semmancherry police station at Sholinganallur. When it was submitted that the disputed site was reclassified from Meikkal Thangal to Meikkal Road before the police station was built, the bench countered the submission by pointing out that the report of the expert committee set up by the court to look into the matter and the G.O issued for permitting the construction had identified the land as waterbody. It emphasised that all structures, not just the police station, built on waterbodies should be removed. The court also pulled up the petitioner for filing selective litigation only against the construction of the police station but not against other such structures. Counsel for the petitioner said they could collect documents only relating to the disputed land. The matter was adjourned by 10 days.