Observing that water is elixir for life and its over exploitation would lead to contamination, Madras High Court has ruled government could stop extraction of ground water for commercial purposes.
Justice B Rajendran of Madurai Bench made the observation while dismissing a series of petitions filed by some pump set owners in Servaikaran Madam and some other coastal villages in Tuticorin district against an order of the District Collector directing them to stop pumping out water from borewells for sale.
The Judge said the petitioners were not drawing water for domestic or agriculture purpose but selling it to tanker owners.
The government had issued an order regulating such sale of water and had specifically said that no objection certificate should be obtained from the Local panchayat for drawing water for commercial purpose.
One of the petitioners had sunk two borewells in eight cent (one cent is about 440 sq feet) land, saying it was for agriculture purpose.
Government in all earnestness to protect water table had issued the GO. The Petitioners had not produced chitta or farm documents to show they were using water for agriculture.
The court said over exploitation would lead to contamination of water due to geogenic factors increasing fluoride, iron and salt content.
The collector had received a lot of complaints from the local people and hence had issued the notice to stop pumping water. He had taken right step to stop the illegal action of the unscrupulous elements.
He was right and the court could not interfere in that, the judge said dismissing the batch of petitions.
However, officials should allow the farmers to use for farming purpose and domestic consumption, the Judge added.
