The Madras High Court has issued a direction to Kancheepuram District Collector to ensure that no construction comes up on the bunds of a temple tank at Kodur village in Cheyyur Taluk. A Bench comprising Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice R. Mala also recalled how a direction of the First Bench of the High Court had led to the Tamil Nadu government enacting the Tamil Nadu Protection of Tanks and Eviction of Encroachments Act, 2007. The Bench passed orders on a petition filed by C. Ananthakrishnan seeking a direction to stop the construction of a service centre for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREG) on the bund of Agastheeswarar temple tank. The revenue records have classified the area as kuttai . Later, the government submitted a report saying the land adjoined a waterbody. However, the Block Development Officer (Grama Panchayats) Elathur in a report on March 18 said the proposed construction was not on a waterbody but temple land. The Bench urged the District Collector to call for a report from the revenue officials and examine the matter. “If it is found that the proposed construction is on a waterbody, direction should be issued so that the construction does not come up. Otherwise, the officials should be entitled to proceed in accordance with law,” the Bench said while reiterating that the exercise should be done in six weeks.