Chennai, Dec 25 : The Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called upon Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to fulfil long-pending electoral promises made to the people of Kolathur, particularly with regard to the removal of encroachments on water bodies in the constituency.

In a press release issued on Thursday, A.N.S. Prasad, State Spokesperson of the Tamil Nadu BJP, said the issue had acquired renewed urgency following a recent order of the Madras High Court directing authorities to clear encroachments from Vannankulam lake in Kolathur.

The High Court order came in response to a petition filed by Advocate Devaraj, a resident of Kolathur, who sought the removal of encroachments on nearly 350 acres of land in the Peravallur area.

The petition highlighted illegal occupations on Vannankulam lake, several ponds and tanks, and government poramboke lands, which serve as crucial catchment areas during the monsoon.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice M.M. Srivatsava and Justice G. Arul Murugan directed the Revenue Department, the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board, and the Greater Chennai Corporation to remove the encroachments on a â??war-footingâ?? basis.

The BJP has now urged the Chief Minister to issue clear instructions to these departments to ensure swift and time-bound implementation of the courtâ??s directive. The party noted that, as both the MLA of Kolathur and the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Stalin carries a moral responsibility to personally intervene and resolve the long-standing issue of water body encroachments.

It is alleged that despite repeated and consistent rulings by various courts mandating the protection and restoration of water bodies, successive directives have not been acted upon with seriousness.

While acknowledging improvements made in Kolathur between 2021 and 2025 in areas such as hospitals, playgrounds and bus stands, the BJP pointed out that several core promises remain unfulfilled. These include the widening of Paper Mills Road from Perambur Church to Retteri Junction, a commitment made over 15 years ago.

The BJP also alleged that many encroachments were carried out during earlier regimes with the involvement of political cadres, and recalled Stalinâ??s 2011 assurance to completely clear encroachments, restore ponds and tanks, and protect drinking water sources in Kolathur.

Calling for immediate action, the party appealed to the Chief Minister to set an example by enforcing the High Court order without delay and ensuring the full restoration of Kolathurâ??s water bodies.

/IANS