The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed authorities to take action against officials who caused damage to the historic Suchindram Thanumalayan Swamy Temple tank. A petition filed by Karthik Kannan from Kanyakumari stated that the 14th-century tank, spanning 4 acres, was last desilted in 2011. Recent desilting work started without permission from the State Archaeology Department. During the process, heavy machinery was used beyond permitted depths, removing ancient granite pillars and stones, which led to the collapse of the northern wall. With the temple festival approaching next month, the petitioner sought an expert committee for restoration. Judges Jayachandran and Ramakrishnan, hearing the case, were informed by the HR&CE department lawyer that an expert committee has been formed. The court ordered that restoration must be done only after obtaining a proper fitness certificate from structural engineers and mandated action against both the contractor and the officials who failed to supervise the work. The case has been adjourned to January 8 for a progress report.