CHENNAI: The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday issued a stay order on ongoing development works on the 118-acre land reclaimed from the erstwhile Madras Race Club, until a comprehensive report is submitted by the chief secretary to the state government. The bench observed that the land — proposed to be developed into an ecological park — should not be altered pending final orders.
The bench, comprising judicial member Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert Satyagopal Korlapati, was hearing two connected applications, including a suo motu case initiated on the basis of a news report highlighting pollution in Velachery Lake.
The land in question had earlier been taken over by the revenue department and later handed over to the department of horticulture and plantation crops. However, it remains unclear as to whether the land was formally transferred to the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), which has already constructed four ponds on the site for rainwater harvesting.
“Till such time a report from the chief secretary to the government of Tamil Nadu is filed as per our earlier directions, no activity should be done in the said land,” the tribunal said in its order.
Raising serious concerns about the shrinking Velachery Lake — which has reportedly reduced to one-fifth of its original 255-acre extent — the NGT pointed out that substantial portions of the water-spread area had been occupied by government agencies under various development schemes. These include over 77 hectares now, with the Tamil Nadu Housing Board, Slum Clearance Board, and highways department involved.
The bench emphasised the ecological potential of the reclaimed land, urging the state to justify why it should not be developed as a waterbody. “Conversion of this land into a waterbody would significantly enhance groundwater percolation and recharge, contributing to meeting the water requirements of Chennai,” it stated.
The state has also been directed to provide detailed information on the lake’s original and present extent, water holding capacity, and how proposed renovation works costing `23.5 crore would impact flood mitigation and water storage. The matter has been posted for final hearing on August 21.