The Tamil Nadu Information Commission (TNIC) has urged the State government to evict encroachments and restore Sathangadu Lake in Tiruvallur district to its original geographical extent of 135 acres from the present 70 acres.

With Revenue Department officials admitting in writing that nearly 60 acres of the lake had been encroached upon by various public and private organisations, including Government of India undertakings, State Information Commissioner R. Priyakumar asked the Tiruvallur Collector to accord top priority to the issue and take stringent action in accordance with the law to restore the lake in its entirety.

He also requested the Commissioner of Revenue Administration and Disaster Management to directly supervise the eviction of encroachments and ensure measures were taken to protect the lake from future encroachments. The Public Information Officer (PIO) of the Revenue Department was directed to appear in person before the Commission and submit an action taken report on July 30.

The case arose from a petition filed by S. Anandan of Manali, who stated the original extent of Sathangadu Lake, measuring 135 acres, had shrunk to 70 acres due to encroachments over the years. Seeking details of the lake’s extent as per official records, he filed an application under the Right to Information Act, 2005.

The petitioner also submitted a report published in The Hindu on March 28, 2008, in which the then Tiruvallur Collector was quoted as stating the lake extended over 135 acres. As no satisfactory reply was forthcoming from the PIO or the First Appellate Authority, Mr. Anandan filed an appeal before the TNIC.

When the matter came up before Mr. Priyakumar, he directed the Tiruvottiyur Tahsildar to furnish information on the lake’s extent as recorded in official documents and details of encroachments, if any.

He warned that the maximum penalty of ₹25,000 would be imposed on the PIO and disciplinary action initiated if he failed to provide the information sought by the petitioner.

Joint inspection done

In his report, the Tahsildar informed the Commission a joint inspection had been conducted in the lake area along with officials from the Survey Department.

The inspection revealed that two public sector enterprises under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, with offices located in Sathangadu and two private petrochemical companies had encroached upon nearly 10 acres of the waterbody for more than 15 to 20 years. The report further stated a residential area named MGR Nagar, spread over nearly 10 acres, was home to around 200 families. The encroachments also included a temple and a public toilet constructed by the State government.

Expressing serious concern over the encroachments and their impact on the environment and water resources in the locality, Mr. Priyakumar observed protecting waterbodies was not only the duty of the government but also a collective responsibility of the people.

Speaking to The Hindu on the issue, Mr. Priyakumar said Sathangadu Lake was not only a major source of water for several residential and industrial areas in north Chennai but also served as a habitat for numerous species of migratory birds.

The destruction of the waterbody through unchecked encroachments, he said, would cause irreversible damage to both the environment and industry.

He said his recommendation to the appropriate authorities to evict encroachments and restore the waterbody were based on G.O. (Ms.) No. 540 of the Tamil Nadu government, which mandated all District Collectors to form redressal committees for removing encroachments on government lands, as well as the Tamil Nadu Protection of Tanks and Eviction of Encroachment Act, 2007.

Mr. Priyakumar further stated his order was in consonance with several Supreme Court rulings that came down heavily on encroachments on waterbodies.