Tamil Nadu Denies Illegal Approvals for Pallikaranai Marsh Development

As of October 28, 2025, the Tamil Nadu government has denied allegations that environmental clearance and plan approval were illegally granted for a multi-storey building project within the Pallikaranai marshland, a designated Ramsar Site since 2022. The government clarified that the land in question falls outside the notified reserve forest area, and the delineation of the Ramsar Site boundaries is yet to be finalized.

The Environment, Climate Change and Forest Department stated that the Pallikaranai region comprises three distinct classifications - the reserve forest, the Ramsar Site, and the wetland - and these terms cannot be used interchangeably. An extent of about 698 hectares has been notified as the Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest, and no construction permissions have been granted within this protected area.

The Ramsar Site includes the existing 698 hectares of the reserve forest and an additional 550 hectares yet to be delineated through a legal process. The government said the "ground truthing" to identify specific survey numbers and boundaries has not been completed, and the survey numbers mentioned in the complaint pertain to private patta lands as per revenue records.

The government reiterated that approvals have been granted only for lands outside the existing Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest boundaries, and no violations of environmental or forest regulations have occurred. The Ramsar Site's boundaries will come into force only after the ongoing delineation and public consultation process are completed.