Chennai: The Madras high court has directed the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) to maintain status quo in the matter relating to putting up an electricity sub-station in Manakkudi village in Nagapattinam district.
Passing interim orders on a PIL from Rajagopal, an agriculturist, a division bench comprising Justices R. Banumathi and T. S. Sivagnanam said the counsel for the petitioner said the land in question was used by villagers as agricultural kalam.
The counsel said the TNEB was proposing to put up an electricity sub-station and was likely to float tender. The TNEB shall maintain status quo till July 24. Post on July 24, the bench added.
According to Rajagopal, his village Manakkudi was situated right on the banks of river Cauvery and paddy was the main crop cultivated in the village. Paddy harvest needs drying yard called ‘kalam’. Without kalam, paddy harvest was not possible.
Further there was water pond in the village, which was being used by agriculturists for water recharge and several other agriculture purposes. Unfortunately, the TNEB had decided to destroy the kalam and in that place they had decided to erect electricity substation.
Destruction of kalam indirectly amounts to destruction of agricultural activities. The agriculturists opposed the move and pleaded the authorities to relocate the substation in the alternative places, which were available in the village.
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