W.P.No.1449 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED : 17.01.2025 CORAM THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE S.M.SUBRAMANIAM AND THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE V.LAKSHMINARAYANAN W.P.No.1449 of 2025 and W.M.P. No.1692 of 2025 P.Samikkannu ... Petitioner Vs. 1.State of Tamil Nadu rep. By The Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Animal Husbandry, Dairying, Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare Department, Secretariat, Fort St. George, Chennai – 600 009. 2.The Commissioner of Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare, 3rd Floor, Integrated Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Buildings, Nandanam, Chennai – 600 035. 3.The District Collector, Nagapattinam – 611 003. 4.The Joint Director of Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare, Collectorate Campus, Nagapattinam – 611 003. ... Respondents https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.No.1449 of 2025 Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, praying for the issuance of Writ of Mandamus to direct the respondents to consider and pass order on the representation made by the petitioner's Sangam dated 20.12.2024 and to take effective steps to prevent the encroachment around the “Vellai River” and deepening the estuary of the “Vellai River” and build the “Bait Curve” with block stones and to ensure the livelihood of the fishermen and protect the environment of coastal zone in and around the “Vellai River” and its estuary. For Petitioner : Mr.S.Parthasarathi For Respondents : Mr.J.Ravindran, Additional Advocate General assisted by Mr.P.Gurunathan, Additional Government Pleader ORDER (Order of the Court was made by S.M.SUBRAMANIAM, J.) The writ of mandamus has been instituted to direct the respondents to consider the representation submitted by the petitioner's Sangam on 20.12.2024 to prevent encroachment around the “Vellai River” and deepening the estuary of the “Vellai River” and build the “Bait Curve” with block stones and to ensure the livelihood of the fishermen and protect the environment of coastal zone in and around the “Vellai River” and its estuary. https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.No.1449 of 2025 2. Learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that the respondents are allowing encroachment in waterbody in and around “Vellai River” and banks of river are under illegal occupation of the miscreants and the authorities have failed to initiate action, which resulted in the filing of the present writ petition. 3. Mr.J.Ravindran, learned Additional Advocate General assisted by Mr.P.Gurunathan, learned Additional Government Pleader would submit that appropriate actions will be taken in the event of identifying any such encroachments. 4. In view of the submission made on behalf of the authorities to the lis on hand, this Court is inclined to direct respondents 2 to 4 to conduct joint inspection and in the event of identifying any encroachments in banks of “Vellai River” or in any waterbody in that locality, initiate all appropriate actions to remove the encroachment by following the procedures as contemplated under the relevant Statutes. Said action is directed to be completed within a period of twelve weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.No.1449 of 2025 5. With the above direction, the writ petition stands disposed of. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petition is closed. There shall be no order as to costs. [S.M.S., J.] [V.L.N., J.] Index: Yes 17.01.2025 Neutral Citation: Yes/No mmi To 1.The Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Animal Husbandry, Dairying, Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare Department, Secretariat, Fort St. George, Chennai – 600 009. 2.The Commissioner of Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare, 3rd Floor, Integrated Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Buildings, Nandanam, Chennai – 600 035. 3.The District Collector, Nagapattinam – 611 003. 4.The Joint Director of Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare, Collectorate Campus, Nagapattinam – 611 003. https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.No.1449 of 2025 S.M.SUBRAMANIAM, J. AND V.LAKSHMINARAYANAN, J. mmi W.P.No.1449 of 2025 17.01.2025 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis