The Tamil Nadu government, in a statement issued on Tuesday (October 28, 2025), dismissed accusations that it had unlawfully issued environmental clearance and building plan approval for a proposed multi-storeyed construction project within the Pallikaranai marshland. The marshland, which has been recognised as a Ramsar Site since 2022 for its ecological importance, has been at the centre of growing environmental concern and public debate. Clarifying its position, the government maintained that the land identified for the project does not lie within the officially notified boundaries of the Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest. It further explained that the precise demarcation of the Ramsar Site’s boundaries is still under process, meaning the current project site cannot automatically be considered part of the protected zone. According to the Environment, Climate Change and Forest Department, the Pallikaranai area encompasses three distinct designations — the Reserve Forest, the Ramsar Site, and the Wetland. The department emphasised that these terms represent separate categories under different legal and environmental frameworks and therefore should not be used interchangeably. The government also highlighted that approximately 698 hectares have been formally declared as the Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest under the Tamil Nadu Forest Act, 1882. Within this notified area, no approvals or clearances have been issued for any form of construction, reaffirming the state’s commitment to conserving ecologically sensitive zones.

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