Tamil Nadu forms expert panel to protect Thamaraikani tank, informs Madras High Court
The Tamil Nadu government on Friday (August 14, 2026) informed the Madras High Court that it has constituted an expert body to protect the sprawling Thamaraikani waterbody from encroachments. The waterbody is located opposite the Infosys campus at Sholinganallur in Chennai.
Additional Advocate General (AAG) P.V. Balasubramaniam made the submission before the first Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan. He said the government formed the committee of experts a week ago.
The submission came in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by anti-corruption organisation Arappor Iyakkam in 2019. The petitioner, represented by its managing trustee Jayaram Venkatesan, initially challenged the construction of a building for the Semmenchery police station on the waterbody. Later, the petitioner amended its prayer to seek removal of all encroachments and restoration of the waterbody to its original state.
The court was informed that Thamaraikani tank is part of Periya Eri, a mosaic of tanks that also includes Valaleri and Velalkani. According to the Public Works Department's tank memoir, Thamaraikani was originally spread over 13.47 hectares and irrigated around 250 acres. Over time, large-scale encroachment by private and government institutions has reduced its extent.
The AAG told the court that apart from the police station building, whose inauguration was stayed by the High Court in 2019, there are other structures adjacent to each other. These include an electricity sub-station, a large Aavin milk factory, and a government higher secondary school. The AAG said these institutions need to be protected.
He further stated that the government has already demarcated the existing boundaries of the waterbody to protect its extent. The newly constituted expert committee will suggest ways and means to prevent future encroachments.
After recording the submissions, the judges granted four weeks' time for the government to file a comprehensive status report. They also ordered that the expert body may consider suggestions made by the petitioner organisation for the protection of the waterbody.
