The Madras High Court has instructed the District Collector of Tiruvannamalai to submit a detailed report on the measures taken to remove 1,535 unauthorized constructions on the sacred Arunachala hill in Tiruvannamalai.
This directive follows a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Advocate ‘Elephant’ Rajendran, who raised concerns over the increasing number of illegal buildings on the hill, home to the revered Arunachaleswarar Temple. In response to the PIL, the High Court had earlier constituted a special committee led by retired Justice Govindarajan, with representatives from both the Forest and Revenue Departments, to identify and initiate action against such structures.
During a hearing on 6 June 2025, presided over by Chief Justice S.V. Gangapurwala and Justice Sundar Mohan, the committee reported that 1,535 constructions had been raised without proper approvals. The court took serious note of the findings and ordered the District Collector to provide a status update on the actions taken to address the issue. The matter has been scheduled for the next hearing on 20 June 2025.
In a related matter, another PIL by Advocate Rajendran concerning encroachments on water bodies in the Tiruvannamalai region was also heard. According to a report from the Commissioner of Land Administration, out of the 170 locations identified by the petitioner, only 84 have been officially recorded as water bodies. The court instructed the state government to inspect these 84 locations for any encroachments and submit a report detailing the steps taken for their removal. This case has been adjourned until July.
Notably, nearly ten months ago, Advocate Rajendran had filed two significant PILs—one addressing the illegal encroachments on Tiruvannamalai hill and another focused on the protection of around 140 local water sources, including ponds and canals. At the time, the High Court appointed an Advocate Commissioner to assess the situation. The Commissioner’s report, which revealed over 1,000 illegal structures within temple and forest land, led to the appointment of a retired High Court judge to further examine the matter.
Despite initial assurances from the government that the encroachments would be cleared by 31 March 2025, the removal process has reportedly stalled following the transfer of a proactive District Collector. Advocate Rajendran brought this inaction to the attention of the court during the recent hearing, prompting the bench to express its dissatisfaction with the lack of progress. The Court has now directed the District Collector to file an affidavit detailing the steps taken so far. Final orders are expected by 27 June, potentially marking a turning point in restoring the sanctity and ecological balance of the Tiruvannamalai region.
Tiruvannamalai – Holy Temple – Holy Mountain – Holy Tanks – all endangered by encroachers – with Govt turning a blind eye for more than 15 years.
Ten months ago, Temple and Animal Welfare Activist – Advocate Shri Elephant Rajendran – had filed important PILs regarding removal… https://t.co/HjAmSApuJI pic.twitter.com/WezIB5demg
— trramesh (@trramesh) June 6, 2025
(With inputs from Hindu Tamil)
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