There are at least 304 survey numbers, several of them with substantial buildings, within Chennai's Pallikaranai Marsh Ramsar site, the state wetland authority informed National Green Tribunal (NGT) in a report last week. The report, prepared with satellite data and e-governance records, was submitted during a hearing in a suo motu case initiated in July 2023. The case pertains to allegations that a private builder was laying a road by dumping soil and construction debris into Perumbakkam marshland using heavy machinery. During the recent hearing, NGT sought clarity on whether the disputed road lies within the Ramsar site's zone of influence. According to the latest affidavit, the survey and sub-division numbers span seven revenue villages, including Perumbakkam, Sholinganallur-I, Pallikaranai, Perungudi, Jalladianpet, Injambakkam, and Okkiyam Thoraipakkam. The wetland authority noted that while the survey number data is indicative, final verification is awaited from directorate of survey and settlement. The outcome will help CMDA incorporate Ramsar boundaries and their influence zones into the upcoming master plan 2026. The builder's counsel, in earlier submissions, claimed that the land was filled only to facilitate a survey by govt officials. But in July 2024, the wetland authority confirmed the road was built by mobilising construction material inside the marshland and that the location lies adjoining Ramsar boundary. In April 2025, the NGT directed CMDA to file a comprehensive update on planned changes to the master plan in light of the marshland's ecological significance and to spell out protections for Ecologically Sensitive Zones. 
 

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