Culvert-based drainage restoration was ordered instead of removing the Panchayat road.

The dispute arose from waterlogging on private lands adjoining a developed layout and a Panchayat road.

The petitioner attributed the inundation to the road’s construction and concretisation; the owners of the affected lands sought restoration of the natural drainage.

In W.P. No. 21368 of 2023, the petitioner sought implementation of the Tahsildar’s communication recommending removal of the road.

In connected W.P. No. 22377 of 2023, he challenged the Karnataka Appellate Tribunal’s order, which had set aside his land-conversion order and directed removal of obstructions to natural water flow.

Following inspections and reports, the State proposed culverts and drainage works as a means of addressing the inundation while preserving access to the lands.

The Deputy Commissioner informed the Court that the lands were within Ponnampet Town Municipal Council and that the Directorate of Municipal Administration would be responsible for the relevant approvals and funding.

1. Whether the petitions could be resolved through administrative measures to restore the free flow of water, without adjudicating the underlying disputes over the conversion order, the road, or the asserted rights of access.

2. Whether time-bound directions should be issued to the municipal authorities to consider and implement the State’s proposed drainage and culvert works.

The petitions invoked the High Court’s jurisdiction under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution.

Its reasoning applied the remedial principle that writ jurisdiction may be used to facilitate a practical, time-bound administrative resolution where that course can address the immediate problem without defeating the parties’ asserted rights; the Court considered the State’s technical recommendations for drainage and culverts as the basis for that resolution.

The Court noted that the competing claims concerned the cause of the inundation, the validity of the petitioner’s land conversion, removal of the Panchayat road, and villagers’ access to their lands.

Because the State’s inspections and reports proposed culverts and drainage works as a means of restoring water flow, the Court considered it unnecessary to decide those underlying disputes at that stage.

It instead directed the municipal authorities to process the proposal, while allowing the Directorate’s technical department to modify the recommended works if necessary.

The order permits the parties to submit a certified copy to the Ponnampet Town Municipal Council within one week; directs the Council’s Chief Officer to forward a report to the Director, Directorate of Municipal Administration, within eight weeks; and directs the Director to consider the report and arrange the necessary approvals and budgetary allocation for the culvert works.

The parties may approach the Court under Article 226 if the authorities fail to act in accordance with the directions.