Kalingarayan Canal’s historic Thotti Palam will not be demolished, WRD tells HC
The Water Resources Department has assured the Madras High Court that the historic 740-year-old Thotti Palam aqueduct will be renovated and preserved rather than demolished. The court directed the petitioner to consult the Archaeological Survey of India regarding potential heritage status for the structure.
Why it matters
This case highlights the tension between infrastructure modernization and the preservation of historical and cultural heritage sites.
The Water Resources Department (WRD) has assured the Madras High Court that the historic aqueduct, popularly known as the Thotti Palam, on the Kalingarayan Canal will not be demolished and will instead be renovated and preserved.
The assurance was given during the hearing of a writ petition filed by K. Banuchandar, author of Kalingarayan – Nathi Neer Enaippin Muthalvan (Pioneer of River-Water Linking) , seeking protection of the structure. The petition was disposed of by the court on September 9.
A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan, while disposing of the petition, directed the petitioner to approach the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) directly on his plea to have the aqueduct declared a heritage monument.
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