The Madras high court on Wednesday sought a response from the state government on a plea which sought for a direction to forbear construction activities within 500m of the high tide line at Kannirajapuram village in Ramanathapuram district.A division bench of justices V Bharathidasan and S Ananthi was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by P Suyambu Lingam, a resident of Kannirajapuram village situated at Kadaladi taluk in the district.The petitioner stated that there are nine hamlets under the Kannirajapuram village panchayat. As many as 8,524 people are residing in the hamlets. A coastal road for the stretch of two kilometres connecting the East Coast Road and Gulf of Mannar is situated at the Daramakartha Kudiyirupu hamlet.The coastal road is the only access for the people to go to temples, burial ground and school. However, a compound wall is being constructed by a private company by blocking the access to the pathway. The company has also encroached the land beyond their patta land parcels, claimed the petitioner.
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