MADURAI: Observing that successive governments in Tamil Nadu have made no efforts to construct check dams across rivers in the state, the Madurai bench of the Madras high court has said that it is the duty of the state to preserve available water. The court posed a series of questions to the government regarding check dams in the state.A division bench of Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice S S Sundar on Thursday sought the number of check dams already constructed and those proposed to be constructed. The bench also sought a definitive time frame for the construction of the proposed check dams.The bench was hearing a petition which sought the authorities to take up the long-pending Deraparai dam project in Peraiyur taluk in Madurai district, proposed in 1984.Chiding political parties in the state for raising objections to construction of check dams in other states without constructing any here, the court said many check dams are constructed by the governments in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala and the excess water alone is drained into Tamil Nadu. “To put it otherwise, Tamil Nadu is treated as drainage by other states,” the court said.

Stay updated with all the Chennai Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.