J U D G M E N T

S. Manikumar, C. J.

Before the writ court, petitioners have sought for the following reliefs:-

“i) To issue a Writ in the nature of Mandamus, or any other Writ; Order or Direction directing the 1st & 2nd respondents to stop the implementation of proposed 'Ayachira drinking water project' by constructing a deep well in Exhibit P4 land in the 5th ward of the 1st respondent Panchayath;

ii) To issue a Writ in the nature of Prohibition prohibiting the 1st respondent Panchayath from constructing the proposed well in Exhibit P4 property for the implementation of Ayachira drinking water project;

(ii) (a) To call for the records leading to the issuance of Exhibit P12 order passed by the 2nd respondent and quash the same by issuing a Writ in the nature of Certiorari;

(ii) (b) To declare that Exhibit P12 order passed by the 2nd respondent is illegal and arbitrary and hence liable to be set aside;

iii) To issue a Writ in the nature of Mandamus, or any other Writ; Order or Direction directing the 1st & 2nd respondents to make arrangements for supplying drinking water to the needy families through the already started project of 'Jalajeevan Mission' implemented by 4th respondent from the plant Peruvannamuzhi near the dam;

iv) To issue a Writ in the nature of Mandamus, or any other Writ; Order or Direction directing the 1st respondent Panchayath to complete the construction of Thadayana, which has not been completed so far, in order to prevent the salt water entry to the existing wells of the families nearby to the river and thereby to prevent the water in the wells becoming undrinkable, instead of starting the new drinking water project in the 5th ward of 1st respondent Panchayath, namely 'Ayachira drinking water project';

v) To issue a direction to the 2nd respondent to consider and pass orders on Exhibit P11 representations filed by the petitioners and other residents of the 1st respondent Panchayath.”

2. Short facts leading to the filing of the writ petition are as hereunder:-

a) According to the petitioners, they are residents of Ward No. 5 of Chemanchery Grama Panchayat, 1st respondent. Petitioners are aggrieved by the action of the 1st respondent Panchayat to proceed with the construction of a deep well in the 5th ward of the 1st respondent Panchayat for 'Ayachira Drinking Water Project'. Petitioners have submitted representations requesting the 1st respondent to make arrangement for implementing the drinking water project, 'Jalajeevan Mission', for supplying drinking water from Peruvannamuzhi dam, implemented by the Central Government, through Kerala Water Authority.

b) Petitioners have submitted that Jalajeevan Mission Project has already been started proceedings, for supplying drinking water from Peruvannamuzhi dam, to the neighbouring Panchayats and the 1st respondent Panchayat is also a beneficiary of the said project. But the 1st respondent Panchayat is trying to implement a Project, namely Ayachira Drinking Water Project, by way of constructing a well having width 4 meters and depth 8 meters, adversely affecting the water availability to the petitioners' wells and wasting public money also. Petitioners have apprehend that if the said well is constructed, their wells will suffer scarcity of water during the summer season.

c) Petitioners have further submitted that in their locality, during the summer season, water in the wells of the local residents used to become undrinkable, due to the entry of salt water from the neighbouring river. In order to prevent the entry of salt water to the wells existing in the surroundings of the river, though the 1st respondent Panchayat has started a project of constructing Thadayana, it has not yet been completed. Instead of completing the construction of Thadayana, the 1st respondent Panchayat has decided to start another project, by spending a lot of public money, without considering the harm to be caused to the nearby existing wells, by way of constructing the said well. But without cons