CHENNAI: The Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (Credai) on Tuesday approached Madras high court, challenging a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order prohibiting construction activities within 1km radius of Pallikaranai marshland. The ban will be in place until a comprehensive scientific study identifying the wetland zone of influence is completed.
Admitting the plea, the first bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan directed Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and the state forest department to respond to the plea in four weeks.
According to the petitioner, on Sept 24, 2025, the NGT directed the authorities not to grant any approvals or permissions in the ‘zone of influence’. The association contended that the ‘zone of influence’ was arbitrarily fixed to 1km around the RAMSAR site boundary in Pallikaranai, without scientific demarcation, statutory notification or stakeholder hearing.
CMDA, by extracting the NGT order , imposed a ban on approvals through an order dated Oct 9, 2025, resulting in a sudden and complete planning freeze in a vast land area (8,397 acres) situated in more than 10 villages within GCC limits, the association said.
“We do not seek any dilution of any nature of the action taken for the protection of the Pallikaranai swamp area and the RAMSAR site boundary,” the petitioner said, and added that its grievance was only against the order directing the authorities not to grant approval in the zone of influence.
The petitioners submitted that the area in dispute is densely developed with metro rail, IT parks, govt offices, and other public utilities. The adjoining villages are also urbanised with long-established residential and commercial developments.
