Selvakumar v. The District Collector/Monitoring Committee
Case brief
What is this about?
Selvakumar v. The District Collector / Monitoring Committee, Thanjavur & others; Madras High Court (Madurai Bench); W.P.(MD)No.22301 of 2025; decided 14.08.2025 by G.R.Swaminathan and B.Pugalendhi, JJ.; writ of mandamus under Article 226 for removal of encroachments of a water channel in Survey Nos. 11/6, 11/5, 12/4 and 13, Soornakattu/Soorankattu Village, Peravurani Taluk, Thanjavur District, allegedly by private respondents (Ayyappan, Prabhu, Samesh Gopi, Vijaya Kumar); Tahsildar-directed survey with notice to interested persons and encroachers; removal of surveyed encroachments; due opportunity to encroachers; clearance within four months; disposed of, no costs; keywords: encroachment, water channel, monitoring committee, PWD Water Resource Kallani Basin Division, representation dated 01.07.2025.
What did the court decide?
Writ petition disposed of with directions to the third respondent to conduct a survey (after notice to all interested persons and encroachers), to remove encroachments if the survey indicates encroachment of the water body, to give all encroachers due opportunity, and to clear all encroachments within four months of receipt of a copy of the order; no costs.