MADURAI: Restraining the authorities from draining water from the Madakulam irrigation tank in Madurai till June 30, unless natural urgency arises, the Madras high court has allowed members of a cooperative society to harvest natural fish from the tank.
The court was hearing the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by M Paranikumar challenging the order passed by the fisheries department permitting the society to harvest natural fish in the tank till June 30.
The counsel for the petitioner submitted that under the guise of fishing, the authorities are likely to drain the tank which is now upto the brim. If the water is drained then it would inundate the villages in and around the tank. On account of good rainfall in the previous years, the water table in and around the tank has substantially increased and that would also get depleted in the event of the tank being drained for the purpose of fishing.
The counsel further submitted that if the authorities do not drain the water from the tank for the purpose of fishing, the petitioner would have no objection for the members of the society to harvest the natural fish using nets.
A division bench of justices P N Prakash and S Ananthi observed that they see sufficient force in the apprehension and submission of the counsel for the petitioner. Hence, the judges restrained the fisheries department and public works department authorities not to drain water from the tank for the purpose of fishing by the society. However, if any natural urgency arises for which the tank has to be drained other than for fishing purposes, it is open to the authorities to open the shutters.
