1. What is assailed in these petitions filed under Art.226 and 227 of the Constitution is certain orders passed by the first respondent, the State of Kerala, under R.113 (1) (b) and (2) of the Defence of India Rules of 1971, for short, the 1971 Rules, regarding the cultivation of paddy in certain reclaimed paddy lands in the Vembanad lake in Kuttanad in the Alleppey District. The main petition is O. P. No. 4194 of 1972. Counter and reply affidavits have been filed only in that original petition. The Government Pleader appearing on behalf of the respondents and counsel appearing for the petitioners in all these petitions agreed in submitting when these petitions were beard that as the fate of the other petitions depended upon that in O P. No. 4194 of 1972 it would be sufficient if they were disposed of according to the decision in O P. No. 4194 of 1972. In other words they said that if O. P. No 4194 of 1972 was allowed, the other petitions may be allowed and if it was dismissed, the other petitions also may be dismissed.

2. The land involved in O. P. No. 4194 of 1972 is in "T" block. It is surrounded on all sides by water. Agricultural operations in Kuttanad are peculiar.