Ajit Prakash Shah, C.J.

These petitions, filed in public interest, seek to highlight the maladministration and prevalent corrupt practices, because of which almost all the water bodies and water courses in and around the city of Chennai were allowed to be encroached upon, resulting in the reduction of their waterspread areas and acuta water shortage in the region. It is seen that the water bodies which have been formed during the last centuries have been allowed to be encroached upon by allowing residential houses and commercial structures to be constructed therein and in some cases, even regularizing such constructions.

2. The deteriorating status of water bodies in and around the city of Chennai can be seen from the following table prepared by the Special Secretary to Government, Public Works Department, Chennai:

The above figures would show that the water bodies initially having a total area of 0.86.70 Hectares have been reduced to 6481. 92 Hectareo, i.e. by almost 50%, thereby reducing the storage capacity of such water bodies, as a result of which the city of Chennai is compelled to draw its supply of drinking water from Veeranam Tank, which is hundreds of kilometer