Anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam has accused several Tamil Nadu government departments of illegally granting approvals for a ?2,000-crore housing project allegedly planned within the ecologically sensitive Pallikaranai Ramsar wetland in Perumbakkam, Chennai. In a complaint submitted to the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, and the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), the NGO alleged that the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) had issued environmental clearance and construction approval for survey numbers 453, 495/2C, 496, 497, and 498 — all of which, according to Arappor, fall within the marshland area. The organisation said it has attached a 213-page annexure of evidence to support its claims. Citing official maps of the Ramsar site and the CMDA’s influence zone, Arappor said the above survey numbers cover 14.7 acres within the Ramsar boundaries, notified in April 2022. Despite this, Brigade Enterprises, the developer behind the project titled “Brigade Morgan Heights,” applied to SEIAA for environmental clearance on August 9, 2023, and to CMDA for construction plan approval on February 15, 2024, proposing 1,250 dwelling units. Arappor accused the builder of “falsely claiming” that the project site was 1.2 km away from the Pallikaranai marsh, whereas in reality, it is adjacent to survey number 534/4, which is recorded as part of the marsh in government revenue records. While SEIAA granted permission for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and sought further details — including the project’s exact boundary coordinates in relation to the marshland — the builder reportedly asked forest officials for clarification. Following an inspection, the Forest Department stated that the site was 65 metres from the marshland, with a “revenue land parcel” in between. However, Arappor noted that the survey number of this intervening parcel was not disclosed, calling it a sign of possible irregularities. The NGO further cited historical land records, stating that in the 1911 Perumbakkam resettlement register, the last survey number was 445. Survey number 430, corresponding to the marsh, was later subdivided to create new numbers up to 546, facilitating conversion of marshland into revenue plots. The total area under survey number 430, once 643.9 acres in 1911, had shrunk to just 6.1 acres by 1993. Today, only 50 acres under survey number 534/4 are officially marked as marshland. According to the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, wetlands cannot be converted for non-wetland use, and permanent construction is strictly prohibited. Arappor Iyakkam convenor Jayaram Venkatesan said the Ramsar Convention designates 3,081 acres of the Pallikaranai marsh as protected wetland. “This is a clear case of collusion,” he said. Repeated attempts to contact Environment Secretary Supriya Sahu and CMDA Member Secretary G. Prakash for comment were unsuccessful. A Brigade Enterprises spokesperson said, “Brigade Morgan Heights is a joint development project with the landowner. The land is privately held.”
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