The Madras High Court has directed the Nilgiris Collector to remove all encroachments from government land, waterbodies and water courses in the district and thereby pave the way for smooth flow of traffic besides providing other essential facilities to the public in the Western Ghat region.

Justice S.M. Subramaniam issued the direction while disposing of a batch of writ petitions filed against eviction notices issued by the revenue officials about 14 years ago.

Though the petitioners attempted to get the cases closed now on the ground that nothing survived, the government counsel objected to it.

It was brought to the notice of the judge that the petitioners were encroachers and that they had to be necessarily evicted.

After dealing with the cases in detail, the judge directed the Collector to survey the land in question and evict all encroachers under the Tamil Nadu Land Encroachment Act of 2007.

The Collector was ordered to hold a review meeting with subordinate officials to identify the encroachments on water bodies, water resources and government lands in the district within two weeks.

“In the event of any failure, negligence or dereliction of duty on the part of the officials concerned, the Collector shall initiate appropriate prosecution and departmental disciplinary proceedings against them under the discipline and appeal rules in force. Such a clause must be included in the circular or instructions to be issued by him/her,” the judge said.

He made it clear that there could not be any leniency or misplaced sympathy in respect of the actions to be taken against all such inefficient officials. The Superintendent of Police was also directed to provide necessary protection to the revenue officials involved in the eviction process and the case was posted to February 25 for reporting compliance.