The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought a report from the State government on the fires that broke out in Perumbakkam wetland in Chennai in May 2024.
The bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati, took up a matter on the construction of a road inside Perumbakkam wetland for early hearing based on a news report published by The Hinduon May 31.
According to the report, over two hectares of the Perumbakkam wetland, which is contiguous to the Ramsar-designated Pallikaranai marshland, was gutted in the fires over two days. It was put out by the Forest Department staff and the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services personnel.
The counsel appearing for the State government sought time to get appropriate instructions and to file a report about the news item.
Meanwhile, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) filed a report before the bench on the matter pertaining to the ‘road’ inside the Perumbakkam wetland, constructed by dumping construction materials and sand by a private realtor.
The CMDA said in its report that in the Second Master Plan for Chennai Metropolitan Area, 2026, it has demarcated the Pallikaranai swamp area in the land use map. No permission for development activities was entertained in the demarcated land, it said.
Further, the CMDA said that the Planning Permission issued for the land of the realtor does not come within the Pallikaranai swamp. “The CMDA is in the process of preparing Third Master Plan. The exact details of Ramsar site will be collected from the respective department to include it in the third Master Plan,” it added.
The matter has been posted for hearing on July 12.
