📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Vinoth Selvaraj
Local
Madras High Court told interim zone around Pallikaranai marsh can be limited to 36 survey numbers
✍️ The Hindu
🗓 13 Oct 2026, 08:01 AM
👁 14
The State Wetlands Authority informed the Madras High Court that the interim zone of influence surrounding the Pallikaranai marshland can be confined to 36 survey numbers.
The State Wetlands Authority appeared before the Madras High Court and submitted that the interim zone of influence (ZOI) around the ecologically sensitive Pallikaranai marshland can be narrowed to 36 specific survey numbers, rather than a broader area previously under consideration.
The ZOI functions as a buffer to regulate any development that could disturb the marsh's hydrology and biodiversity. By restricting it to 36 survey numbers, the authority hopes to balance conservation needs with ongoing urban projects in Chennai.
The court will now review the submission and decide whether to issue an order reflecting the reduced buffer. Environmental groups have welcomed the clarification, saying a smaller, clearly defined zone will aid monitoring and enforcement.
Pallikaranai marsh, located in the southern part of Chennai, remains one of the city’s few natural wetlands, providing flood‑mitigation benefits and a habitat for migratory birds.
The ZOI functions as a buffer to regulate any development that could disturb the marsh's hydrology and biodiversity. By restricting it to 36 survey numbers, the authority hopes to balance conservation needs with ongoing urban projects in Chennai.
The court will now review the submission and decide whether to issue an order reflecting the reduced buffer. Environmental groups have welcomed the clarification, saying a smaller, clearly defined zone will aid monitoring and enforcement.
Pallikaranai marsh, located in the southern part of Chennai, remains one of the city’s few natural wetlands, providing flood‑mitigation benefits and a habitat for migratory birds.