JUDGMENT :

SUBRAMONIUM PRASAD, J.

Prayer in WP.No.15304 of 2019: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying for the issuance of a writ of mandamus to direct the respondents 1 to 4 to take necessary action against the illegal extraction of ground water without proper approval from authorities concerned at vacant land owned by 5th respondent which is situated at near Om Sakthi Hotel, Selliyamman Koil Street, Gopurasanallur, Kattupakkam, Chennai-56 by considering representation dated 19.04.2019.

1. These writ petitions highlight and bring out the illegal extraction of ground water for the purpose of sale in the State. In Writ petition No.17384 of 2019, the petitioner had sought for a Writ of mandamus for a direction to the respondents to take action on the representations made by him complaining about the illegal extraction of ground water.

2. On 20.06.2019, this Court after extracting various provisions of the Chennai Metropolitan Area Ground Water (Regulation) Act 1987, observed that when there are penal provisions in the said Act which empowers seizure an