Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government not to prevent protests highlighting the water crisis and said it should work with organisations interested in conservation of water bodies to address the situation.

Justice N. Anand Venkatesh made the observation on Friday while directing the Chennai commissioner of police to permit Arappor Iyakkam, an NGO, to hold a demonstration drawing attention to the water crisis in the city and the causes for it on June 30 near Valluvarkottam here.

“The issue that is sought to be projected during protests is a burning issue about which the people must be made aware. The government is making all its efforts to ensure that water is supplied to the nook and corner of the city,” Justice Venkatesh said.

“However, it is important to realise as to why we have reached the present state of affairs as a result of various water bodies that were allowed to be encroached in the past and virtually destroying the ecosystem,” the judge added.

Noting that the crisis requires serious consideration, Justice Venkatesh said awareness must be spread in the state and that the NGO was one of the pioneers in it.

The court also said any government in power should never take these issues as an affront and must make efforts to improve the situation and work with associations that are interested in the conservation of water bodies.

Awareness is the only way through which the water woes can be brought under control and therefore, related protests should never be stopped, the court observed.

On June 20, the commissioner of police had rejected the NGO’s application seeking permission for the protest on the ground that another organisation had appealed for a nod to another protest on the same day and that it would unnecessarily cause a law-and-order problem.

Several parts of Tamil Nadu, especially Chennai, have been reeling from severe water shortage since last month.