Madras HC halts luxury housing project near Pallikaranai Ramsar wetland

The Madras High Court on Friday (October 31) issued an interim order restraining Bengaluru-based Brigade Enterprises Limited from proceeding with the construction of 1,400 luxury residential units on a plot of land adjacent to the ecologically sensitive Pallikaranai marshland, a designated Ramsar site.

The order came in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by J Bezhnev, the Chennai suburban district secretary of the AIADMK's legal wing, highlighting alleged violations of wetland protection laws.

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The PIL, filed just a day earlier on October 30, accused the real estate developer and relevant authorities of suppressing critical facts to secure environmental clearances and planning permissions for the ambitious Rs 2,000-crore project in Chennai, known as Brigade Morgan Heights.

HC issues notices

The proposed development spans approximately 14.7 acres in Perumbakkam village, Tambaram taluk, and includes four high-rise blocks with high-end apartments.

Petitioners argued that the site falls squarely within the boundaries — or at the very least, the zone of influence — of the Pallikaranai marshland, making any construction illegal under the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.

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The Madras High Court, while hearing the writ petition PIL, directed Brigade Enterprises to immediately halt all groundwork and preparatory activities on the site until further orders.

The court also issued notices to the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), and other state departments, including Environment and Forests, seeking their responses within two weeks.

The Bench emphasised the irreversible damage such encroachments could inflict on the wetland's biodiversity and flood-mitigation functions, stating, "The Ramsar designation is not a mere badge of honour; it imposes sacred duties on the state to preserve these natural treasures. On what basis did CMDA approve the plan?"

The Pallikaranai marshland, spanning over 1,247 hectares in southern Chennai, was officially recognised as a Ramsar Site in April 2022 under the international Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

This ancient ecosystem, often called the "lungs of Chennai", plays a crucial role in supporting migratory birds, regulating the water cycle, and acting as a natural sponge during monsoons to prevent urban flooding in surrounding areas like Perumbakkam and Medavakkam. However, decades of encroachments have shrunk its protected core, with critics pointing to a pattern of revenue officials fabricating survey numbers to convert reserved forest lands into private plots.

Brigade Enterprises defends project

Bezhnev, in his petition, alleged that Brigade Enterprises deliberately misrepresented the project's proximity to the marshland in its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) application, claiming it was 1.28 km away when it is, in fact, adjacent or within the site's boundaries. The SEIAA granted environmental clearance on January 20, 2025, followed swiftly by CMDA's planning permission just three days later on January 23 — a timeline petitioners described as "hasty and suspicious".

"This is a blatant violation of Rule 4 of the 2017 Wetland Rules, which prohibits permanent constructions in such zones," Bezhnev's council told reporters outside the court.

Brigade Enterprises, a prominent real estate firm with a presence across South India, defended the project as a legitimate joint venture on privately held land owned for decades.

In a statement emailed to the media, a company spokesperson asserted, "All necessary permissions and statutory clearances have been obtained after detailed site assessments by the concerned authorities. We remain committed to sustainable development and compliance with environmental regulations."

The firm, however, did not immediately respond to queries on the interim order.

NGO questions approvals

The controversy has snowballed in recent weeks, fuelled by parallel activism from anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam, which on October 23 held a press conference accusing state departments of "criminal betrayal" and procedural lapses in approving the project.

Arappor coordinator Jayaraman Venkatesan lambasted the approvals, questioning, "How many crores in bribes were pocketed to turn a protected wetland into a real-estate jackpot?"

The NGO has lodged complaints with the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Chief Minister's Office, demanding FIRs against implicated officials, including CMDA Member Secretary Anshul Mishra and Environment Secretary Rahul Nath.

Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami of the AIADMK echoed these concerns earlier this week, urging Chief Minister MK Stalin to intervene and hold officials accountable.

"While the government preaches wetland reclamation, it signs MoUs that destroy it," Palaniswami said.