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The Madras High Court has slammed the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) for the current water logging situation across the city. High Court has warned the Corporation of suo-motu proceedings if the situation in the city was not brought under control by this weekend.

The division bench of Chief Justice Sanjeeb Banerjee and Justice P.D. Audikesavalu came down heavily upon the Chennai civic body for not taking measures since the 2015 floods as a result of which the city has been struggling with a flood-like situation for the last four days.

The Court was hearing a plea seeking directions to the Corporation to clear off the encroachments and widen the city roads. During the hearing, the Chief Justice said, 

“The city should not have experienced what it has been undergoing now as several parts were marooned. The Chennai Corporation should have initiated proper steps and ensure that the city has not inundated during the rainfall season, " reported DT Next. 

In a similar matter, One T Tamilarasan had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking removal of a private encroachment from Mamanakka lake in his village in Ariyalur district. 

Dealing with this plea, the court directed the government that it should properly maintain all the water channels so that the water could drain out easily. 

Court also noted several cases of waterlogging had been recently coming to court. To this, court said, "We have seen the cases even the government is occupying the water bodies. The authorities are removing the encroachments from the water bodies. However, after some period, again it has been occupied by some others.” 

Recently, on September 8, hearing a matter of encroachment upon Chitlapakkam lake, Chennai, the same bench had remarked that floods were predicted in the city. 

The court had said, 

"It may be noticed that floods are predicted in the city because channels allowing rainwater to drain out have been blocked, particularly around this city, and the 2015 floods may only have been a mild portender of future calamities.”

In another of matter of September itself which also pertained to encroachment of waterbodies in Tamil Nadu, the High Court had noted that the executive of the State was trying to indulge in the age-old ploy of blaming the court for no effective action as the matter was pending before the court.

In that matter, the court had demanded that it needed to be convinced that genuine steps were being taken to protect waterbodies and forests and whatever is left of the coastal regions and nature.

Case Title: T.Sri Krishna Bhagavat Vs The Chief Secretary And 4 Others.