Chennai, The Madras High Court has summoned Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu to explain as to why the water bodies in the state were not protected and encroachments removed.

A first bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice P.D. Adikesavalu on Wednesday flayed the government over its failure to protect water bodies and remove encroachments saying that the status report it provided lacked required information.

Irai Anbu had submitted a report in the court that he had given instructions to the Inspector General of Registration not to allow registration of land located on water bodies. This, the court stated was not adequate.

Inaction of officers concerned may result in an order leading to 'disciplinary inquiry' against all defaulting officers, observed the bench and directed Advocate General R Shanmugasundharam not to take the matters lightly.

The Acting Chief Justice said that failure of the government officials to protect water bodies has led to floods as well as water scarcity and these are draining the government coffers and creating misery for people of the state.

Justice Bhandari, while issuing orders summoning the Chief Secretary said: Take this very seriously and we have one intention and that is the state of Tamil Nadu must not suffer next year like the situation that we have this year."

According to the submission given by the state government, of the 57,688 encroachments on water bodies, only 8,797 were removed,he added.