Odisha: Court Demands Report on Private Water Bodies

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court is not pleased with the Cuttack Municipal Corporation’s (CMC) efforts to preserve water bodies in its territorial jurisdiction. The court directed the urban local body to submit a detailed status report on 231 private tanks recorded in the 2009-10 survey.

The division bench consisting of Acting Chief Justice BR Sarangi and Justice MS Raman asked CMC to submit an affidavit on the number of private tanks in the city, their area, and the name of the owner of the water body.

The court gave this order after examining the affidavit filed by CMC in pursuance of the September 21, 2023, order regarding a PIL filed by Maitree Sansad, a socio-cultural organisation, seeking intervention from the court for conserving water bodies in Cuttack.

The affidavit filed by the urban local body mentions the 231 private tanks based on the 2009-10 survey report. It has been 13 years since the last survey, so a joint survey by CMC, district administration and law enforcement officials is recommended to determine the current status of the tanks.

The local body also informed the court about the Ama Pokhari scheme, which was introduced for the rejuvenation of 2,000 large water bodies and six tanks in July 2023 by the urban local body.