CHENNAI: In a fresh crackdown on Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) violations along Tamil Nadu’s East Coast Road (ECR), the state government has issued a stop-work order and show cause notice to two individuals for allegedly constructing a compound wall within the No-Development Zone (NDZ) of CRZ-III, in Kanathur Reddikuppam village of Chengalpattu district.
The action follows a detailed site inspection by officials of the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DoE&CC) and forest range officer, based on a written complaint from the local Kanathur Reddikuppam Meenavar Panchayat Sabai on June 9.
Local fisherman Mahendran Mani told TNIE that a total of 2.5 acres has been compounded, which includes 0.5 acre of kadal poramboke land which is traditionally used for boat parking. “After groynes were constructed in Kovalam-Muttukadu, the Kanathur coast has experienced severe erosion.
There is hardly any beach left for parking our boats and fishing gear. Now, access has been cut off to our traditional land and we are being threatened for voicing our concerns. The state should immediately demolish the compound wall. Our village has about 130 boats of different sizes,” Mani said.
According to the inspection report, a copy of which is available with TNIE, submitted by Assistant Executive Engineer P Arivalagan, construction activity was noted at survey numbers 92/3, 92/4, and 92/5 in Kanathur Reddikuppam. The inspection conducted on June 17 found that a compound wall made of stone boulders was under construction, with concrete foundations laid for approximately 25m on the seaward side. Construction materials such as stone boulders and metal sand were seen stocked at the site.
Importantly, the property lies within CRZ-III’s NDZ, where new constructions are strictly prohibited under the CRZ Notification, 2011. As per Paragraph 8 (III) (ii) of the notification, only repairs and reconstruction of existing authorised structures, or facilities essential for specific permitted activities, are allowed within the NDZ — none of which apply to the present case.
The property is reportedly owned by Sherif Salman and Mugamud Riswan Sherif, residents of Venkateshwara Garden, ECR, Kanathur. Following the inspection, the director of DoE&CC and member secretary of Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority (TNSCZMA), A R Rahul Nadh, issued a formal stop-work order on June 23, directing the owners to immediately halt all ongoing work at the site.
A subsequent show cause notice dated June 26 has called on the violators to explain within 15 days why legal proceedings should not be initiated under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The notice warns that failure to respond will result in action without further intimation.
“Construction in the NDZ is a clear violation. The matter has also been referred to the district collector and chairman of the District Coastal Zone Management Authority (DCZMA) for further investigation and necessary action,” said a senior official of the environment department.
The development comes amid increasing scrutiny of illegal constructions along the ECR, a highly ecologically-sensitive coastal stretch that has seen a surge in tourism-related and private real estate development. Environmentalists have welcomed the move and called for stricter enforcement.
This is the second major CRZ violation reported in the region in recent weeks, highlighting the mounting pressure on regulatory authorities to act decisively against illegal coastal developments.