MASS EDUCATION AND ACTION FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY Vs. THE SECRETARY, CENTRAL BOARD OF IRRIGATION & POWER AND OTHERS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This writ petition is filed as a Public Interest Litigation by the petitioner namely, Mass Education and Action for Rural Development 3 Society, Pandian Nagar, Kariapatti, Virudhunagar District. The petitioner would state that the petitioner in this writ petition filed as a Public Interest Litigation would aver, among other things, that in southern Tamil Nadu, there are five districts namely, Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram, Sivagangai, Madurai and Tirunelveli and those districts are drought prone areas and most of the residents of the said districts are depending upon agricultural activities for eking out their livelihood.

(2.) During British regime, in order to address their grievance, Periyar Dam was constructed in the year 1875 and for the purpose of providing irrigation facilities to Madurai, Dindigul, Theni and also to Ramanathapuram.

(3.) It is the specific case of the petitioner that if "Pampa-Achan Kovil - Vipar Link Project" is implemented, it would result in diversion of surplus water from the perennial Pampa river flowing in Kerala State to the proposed Alagar Dam at Alagar Mountain through 26 Kms. of the proposed main channel and in the event of the implementation of the said project, irrigation facilities would be available to an extent of 91,400 Hectares of land spread over in the above said five districts in the State.