CHENNAI: The Madras HC on Wednesday adjourned to November 11 a batch of petitions challenging restrictions on construction around the Pallikaranai Ramsar wetland, after examining a revised interim Zone of Influence (ZoI) proposed by the TN State Wetland Authority. The court said it wanted to examine the documents and seek clarifications on the safeguards proposed before passing a common order.
TNIE had visited the Pallikaranai, Sholinganallur and Perumbakkam areas on Wednesday morning and found construction work continuing at few high-rise buildings despite Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) ban within 1-km radius from Ramsar site, subsequent to southern bench of NGT order.
Unidentified individuals were seen attempting to reclaim a piece of prime Ramsar site area well inside the flood channel in Perumbakkam. A one acre in survey number 491/3 has been cordoned-off with boundary stones. The residents told TNIE it was done only a few months back. The area, in fact, is such that there is no access road to the site.
Meanwhile, additional advocate general PV Balasubramaniam and senior counsel P S Raman appearing for CREDAI argued there are enough safeguards in place.
However, the first bench led by chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari alongside Justice G Arul Murugan said they would require time to examine all documents and also raised concerns about what protection would apply if the final exercise identifies additional land parcels outside the interim Zone of Influence.