CASES ON PROTECTION OF LAKES

Kanya Kumari tanks
Tamil Nadu

The lotus culture in Kanya Kumari, the southern most district of Tamil Nadu, has posed a serious problem to the tanks. The lotus cultivators take the rhizome of the lotus plant and bury it on the tank beds. Then week after, the rhizome starts developing into a flower. To get larger leaves and flowers, manures are added to the water body without considering its side effect on the lake water. The manure ranges from urea to poultry waste to other organic wastes. The addition of this organic nutrition proliferates the growth of the weeds along with the lotus plants in the water.  The eutrophication ultimately degrades the ponds.
 


In 2007, Dr. Lal Mohan along with three other environmentalists filed a PIL in the Madras HC (Madurai Bench) under Article 226 of the Indian constitution to stop the leasing out of tanks for lotus cultivation. An interim judgement was passed which allowed the department to carry on the scheduled auction. The final judgement was passed in November, 2009 whereby it had been decided that lotus cultivation would be totally banned in the district.

 


This case (W.P. MD. No. 2799 of 2007) has been settled in the Madras HC (Madurai Bench in 2009).

 
2007
Dr. Lal Mohan along with three other environmentalists filed a PIL in the High Court of Chennai (Madurai Bench) to stop the leasing out of tanks for lotus cultivation. The court's interim order was not strong enough to stop the Public Works Department (PWD) from further leasing out of tanks. A judgement was passed which allowed the department to carry on the scheduled auction.
 
1994
A public interest litigation was filed by Shri S Jagannathan, Chairman, Tamil Nadu Gram Swaraj Movement, Kuthur under Article 32 of the Constitution of India praying for enforcing the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification dated 19 February 1991 within a stipulated time frame.
 
2009
In November, Lotus cultivation for commercial purpose has been banned in Kanya Kumari by the court.