Days after anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam accused the Tamil Nadu government of illegally granting environmental clearance and building approvals for a multi-crore real estate project by a Karnataka-based firm within the protected Pallikaranai Ramsar wetland site in Perumbakkam, the state government has defended its actions, citing incomplete boundary delineation of the protected area.
In a press release issued on October 28, the Environment, Climate Change and Forest Department stated that the Ramsar site boundaries have not yet been legally enforced, as the process of delineating a wetland's extent with specific survey numbers through ground verification remains pending.
"The Pallikaranai Wetland limits as part of the Ramsar Site will come into force only after the delineation of the extent with specific survey numbers is completed by ground truthing followed by notification," the department clarified.
The statement said approvals were granted "only on the private patta lands outside the present Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest boundaries."
Last week, Arappor Iyakkam alleged that various government departments in Tamil Nadu colluded to grant illegal permissions for a multi-crore real estate project inside the ecologically sensitive Pallikaranai marshland Ramsar site.
In a complaint to Chief Minister MK Stalin, the Director of the Department of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, and others on October 23, Arappor alleged that the real estate and property development company Brigade Enterprises was granted these permissions in violation of rules.
In April 2022, the Pallikaranai marshland was declared a Ramsar site. A Ramsar Site is a designated wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Permanent construction cannot be undertaken inside a Ramsar site or within one kilometre of its boundary under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.
According to the Tamil Nadu government, the total area of the designated Ramsar site is 1,248 hectares, which includes 698 hectares of the existing Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest and an additional 550 hectares that are yet to be delineated after following due process.
“The ground truthing as per the Wetland Rules for delineating boundaries with specific survey numbers of land parcels other than the Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest has not been done so far. The survey numbers mentioned in the media on plan approvals are such private patta lands.”
The Tamil Nadu government further clarified that in Pallikaranai, an extent of about 698 hectares was notified as Reserve Forest under the Tamil Nadu Forest Act, 1882, which is classified as the Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest. “No building permission has been accorded in this protected area with the Forest Department.”
The government also said that the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), a Government of India institution, was given the task of delineating the boundaries with specific survey numbers in November 2024.
However, the statement did not explicitly mention whether the survey numbers 453, 495/2C, 496, 497 and 498, for which building plan approval and environmental clearance have been granted for the Rs 1,250-crore multi-storey Brigade Morgan Heights project in Perumbakkam fall within the Ramsar site.
While the Tamil Nadu government claims that the land in question consists of private patta lands, the Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority’s official Ramsar site map uploaded on its website shows that the patta land falls within the boundaries of Ramsar site classification.
Additionally, the official map of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), enclosed with a circular dated October 9, 2025, regarding the directive not to grant any building approvals in the Ramsar site boundary and its one-kilometre zone of influence, shows that survey numbers 453, 495/2C, 496, 497 and 498 fall under the Ramsar site.
In response to the Tamil Nadu government’s claims, Arappor Iyakkam said that the statement has only raised more questions than answers and has, in fact, confirmed the NGO’s allegations “even more strongly.”
In a statement, the NGO said that the government has not said that the proposed site does not come under the Ramsar site. “Rather, they have tried saying that there is no Ramsar Pallikaranai Marshland ‘officially’ yet. It only shows that there is no political will to save the marshlands. What is the purpose of the designation of Ramsar if the government is not interested in saving the marshland?” the NGO asked.
Disputing the argument made by the Forest Department, the NGO cited Section II of the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, and said that all Ramsar sites, once designated, are automatically covered under the rules and need not wait for notification. It accused the Tamil Nadu government of delaying the process of preparing the Integrated Management Plan by more than three years.
Nityanand Jayaraman, environmental journalist and researcher, told TNM that keeping the interests of the wetland, the government ought to have delayed the grant of permission until such time that the delineation is done and management plan drawn up. “Or, they should have expedited the delineation and the management plan for the wetland. They’ve done none of this, not even an EIA to assess the potential impact of such a large development," said Nityanand.
The government cannot use its own inaction to justify the permission, he said. “If later they find out that the patta land falls within the wetland area to be notified or its zone of influence, they're faced with yet another fait accompli. Demolishing the building will be presented as a non-option,” said Nityanand.
Speaking to TNM, G Soundarajan, Coordinator of the NGO Poovulagin Nanbargal, said that his organisation has been urging the government to prepare the Integrated Management Plan (IMP), a fundamental requirement before considering any grant, approval or environmental clearance in ecologically sensitive areas. “The government has said that the IMP, including the one for Pallikaranai Ramsar site, is not yet ready and is under preparation. Till such time the boundaries are clearly demarcated, the environmental clearance granted to Brigade Enterprises Limited should be put on hold,” he said.
Deepak Venkatachalam of Suzhal Arivome, an environmental organisation working on conservation of Pallikaranai wetlands, said fulvous whistling ducks, pheasant tailed jacana, spot billed ducks, common moorhen, grey headed swamphen have been spotted in the area. “In the migratory season we have seen several wader species & migratory raptors like Western Marsh harrier, Peregrine falcon hunt and feed on the birds at this location,” Deepak said.
Deepak said there is confusion in the status of the land where the permission for construction has been granted. But irrespective of land status, the land was a marsh with rich freshwater flora & fauna diversity and historically a good breeding site. “It's time for us and authorities to check, identify and protect the remaining marsh land packets in South Chennai apart from the reserved sites of Pallikaranai to mitigate the floods and drought happening frequently due to climate change,” he said.