Expert body formed to protect Thamaraikani tank in Sholinganallur, Tamil Nadu govt. tells Madras High Court
AAG makes the submission in response to a PIL petition filed by Arappor Iyakkam in 2019 against the construction of a building for the Semmenchery police station on the waterbody
On August 14, 2026, the Tamil Nadu government informed the Madras High Court that it had established an expert body to safeguard the expansive Thamaraikani waterbody from encroachments. The expert committee was formed a week prior, in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed in 2019 by Arappor Iyakkam, an anti-corruption organization represented by managing trustee Jayaram Venkatesan.
The petition challenged the construction of a police station building on the waterbody, and the petitioner later amended its request to include the removal of all encroachments and restoration of the waterbody to its original state.
Thamaraikani tank, part of the larger Periya Eri, originally spanned 13.47 hectares and irrigated approximately 250 acres. However, extensive encroachment by both private and government entities had occurred. Apart from the police station, which was halted by the High Court in 2019, other structures adjacent to the waterbody included an electricity sub-station, a significant Aavin milk factory, and a government higher secondary school.
These institutions needed to be protected, according to Additional Advocate General (AAG) P.V. Balasubramaniam.
The government had secured the existing boundaries of the waterbody and constituted the expert committee to propose future protection measures. After hearing the petitioner's submissions and granting the government four weeks to provide a comprehensive status report, the court ordered the expert body to consider the petitioner's suggestions as well.
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