Madras High Court Halts Construction of Housing Project Near Ramsar Site Pallikaranai Marsh

The Madras High Court has restrained the construction of a large multi-storeyed residential complex comprising 1,400 housing units near the ecologically fragile Pallikaranai Marsh, a wetland designated as a Ramsar site of international importance, following concerns of environmental violations and flood risks.

The interim order was issued by a division bench of Chief Justice MM Srivatsava and Justice Arul Murugan while hearing a public interest litigation filed by AIADMK legal wing functionary

J Brezhnev, who sought to revoke the approval for the project and requested a ban on any new construction within a one-kilometre radius of the Pallikaranai marsh.

The petitioner alleged that the project had been cleared unlawfully in an area adjoining the marsh, which is under the Central Government's Ramsar protection framework and plays a crucial role in flood control, biodiversity, and groundwater recharge. He argued that the State Government and the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) had exceeded their powers by permitting the project in a zone that should fall under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017. The petition also noted that the marshland has already been damaged by garbage dumping and unregulated real estate activity.

The court directed the Tamil Nadu government and CMDA to respond and adjourn the matter for further hearing.

The case has revived a wider debate over the Rs 2,000-crore Brigade Morgan Heights project proposed on 14.7 acres in Perumbakkam. Civic group Arappor Iyakkam had earlier alleged that the project site lies within the Ramsar boundary of the Pallikaranai wetland, warning that it could worsen flooding in Perumbakkam and Sholinganallur.

The Tamil Nadu government, however, has maintained that no approval was given within the Pallikaranai Reserve Forest or within the Ramsar-designated wetland limits. It clarified that permission was granted only for construction on private patta lands outside the notified reserve forest boundary. Officials said the exact demarcation of the 1,248-hectare Ramsar site - covering 698 hectares of reserve forest and 550 hectares of adjoining wetland area - is still underway. The ground-truthing exercise being conducted by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management since November 2024 is expected to be completed within the next two weeks.

Brigade Enterprises Limited, the developer, has also defended its project, stating that it fully complies with existing regulations and that all approvals were obtained lawfully. The company said its construction site lies outside the Ramsar-designated area as per the latest land classification and CMDA records.