The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a directive halting any further development activities on 118 acres of government-acquired land, formerly part of the Madras Race Club.
The Bench has also instructed the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu to submit a comprehensive report on the land and encroachments on the Velachery lake, as part of efforts to address the area’s flooding crisis during the monsoon.
The land in question had been reclaimed by the government and was subsequently allocated for public use, with a proposal to create an ecopark. The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has already undertaken some work, including the excavation of four ponds in the area. However, the counsel appearing for the GCC stated that it had not been formally handed over to them by either the Revenue Department or the Department of Horticulture and Plantation Crops.
“Be that as it may, till such time a report from the Chief Secretary to the Government of Tamil Nadu is filed as per our earlier directions, no activity should be carried out on the said land,” the order stated. The report is expected to clarify the status of the land and provide an explanation on why the 118 acres cannot be developed as a waterbody, as proposed by the Bench.
In the previous hearing, the Bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati, questioned why the land — situated upstream of Velachery — was handed over for the development as public gardens and green spaces. The tribunal suggested transforming the land into a waterbody would enhance groundwater recharge and reduce flood risks in the area, which continues to face severe flooding during the monsoon season.
The Bench also expressed concerns over the four ponds developed by the GCC in the upstream area, noting that while they can hold 4.70 mcft of water, their capacity is inadequate to address the scale of flooding that regularly affects Velachery. The next hearing has been scheduled for August 21, when the Bench will review the comprehensive report and make a final decision on the future of the land and its potential use in flood mitigation efforts.
Published – July 15, 2025 11:17 pm IST