NGT Halts Chennai Road Work Over Lake Water Flow

Government agencies involved in constructing the Chennai Peripheral Ring Road (CPRR) in Tiruvallur have been directed by the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal to prevent any obstruction to the natural water flow into Kannigaiper Lake. The tribunal issued this order on October 10, 2026, following a suo motu case initiated in 2025 based on a letter petition. The petition highlighted concerns that a 280-meter stretch of the CPRR road passing over the lake could impede water flow, reduce storage capacity, and risk flooding approximately 50 villages to the west of the lake.

The NGT emphasized that all project designs and execution must comply with technical and safety standards, as well as obtain necessary departmental clearances. They specifically urged authorities to strictly follow the recommendations provided by the water resources department (WRD). While the Tamil Nadu Road Infrastructure Development Company (TNRIDC) reported that the project includes a 100-meter high-level structure and a 180-meter embankment, the WRD had only issued a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for the high-level structure, not the embankment. The WRD suggested a separate structure for the embankment to ensure water flow remains uninterrupted.

Subsequently, the TNRIDC explored building such a structure, proposing a design with 25-meter spans between piers. The tribunal, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and Prashant Gargava, deemed this proposal adequate for uninterrupted water flow and disposed of the petition on this basis.