CHENNAI: The anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam has accused various state government departments of unlawfully granting clearance for a ₹2,000-crore housing project allegedly located within the ecologically sensitive Pallikaranai Ramsar wetland area in Perumbakkam.
In a complaint to the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, and DVAC, the NGO highlighted that the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and CMDA provided environmental clearance and construction approval for specific survey numbers—453, 495/2c, 496, 497, and 498—which fall within the marshland boundaries. Arappor claims to have submitted a 213-page supporting document as evidence.
According to the Ramsar site map and influence outlines provided by CMDA, these survey numbers cover 14.7 acres recognized as part of the Ramsar designation in April 2022. Despite this, Brigade Enterprises submitted an application for environmental clearance on August 9, 2023, and a construction plan approval with CMDA on February 15, 2024, for 1,250 dwelling units under the project named ‘Brigade Morgan Heights’.
Arappor accused the builder of making false claims in the project’s terms regarding its distance from the Pallikaranai marsh, asserting that the site is actually adjacent to survey number 534/4, which belongs to the marsh according to revenue records. The SEIAA permitted the environmental impact assessment and requested further details during meetings with the builder, including the project’s coordinates in relation to the marshland boundary. In response, the builder consulted with forest officials, who indicated that the site was 65m away from the marshland, with a revenue parcel in between. The NGO has pointed out that the absence of this revenue land parcel in documentation suggests potential misconduct.
On August 1, 2024, the Water Resources Department sought verification from the State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) and SEIAA. The SEIAA granted environmental clearance on January 20 this year, shortly followed by CMDA’s building permission. Arappor asserted that the environment and housing secretaries are members of the state wetland authority, indicating they cannot claim ignorance about the Ramsar site and its designated survey numbers from 2022.
The NGO noted discrepancies in the resettlement register of Perumbakkam from 1911, which records the last survey number as 445. Survey number 430, part of the marsh, was subdivided to create new plot numbers up to 546, facilitating further revenue creation. While the land extent under survey number 430 was reported as 643.9 acres in 1911, it has since been drastically reduced to just 6.1 acres according to the 1993 register, with only 50 acres of survey number 534/4 currently classified as marshland. The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 prohibit any conversion of marshland for non-wetland uses or permanent constructions.
Arappor Iyakkam convenor Jayaram Venkatesan emphasized that the Ramsar Convention has designated 3,081 acres of the Pallikaranai marsh for protection. “This situation clearly indicates collusion,” he stated. Repeated attempts to obtain comments from Environment Secretary Supriya Sahu and CMDA Member Secretary G Prakash were unsuccessful.
A spokesperson for Brigade stated, “Brigade Morgan Heights is a joint development project with the landowner. The land has been privately owned for decades, and Brigade Group has complied with all relevant environmental regulations, obtaining project approval only after thorough site assessments by the appropriate authorities.”
