Anbumani Ramadoss criticizes reduction of Pallikaranai marsh protection zone

PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss has accused the Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority of prioritizing the interests of private developers over the protection of the Pallikaranai marsh. The criticism follows the authority's submission to the Madras High Court stating that the wetland’s zone of influence would be reduced from 8,397 acres to 316 acres.

This decision comes amid legal proceedings involving private construction companies challenging a National Green Tribunal order that banned construction within one kilometer of the marsh. Ramadoss questioned why the authority acted quickly to reduce the protected zone but has failed to implement Supreme Court directions to demarcate and notify wetland boundaries, despite claiming satellite-based mapping was nearly complete over ten months ago.

Ramadoss advocated for using scientific methods and satellite data, such as the 2021 ISRO wetland atlas, to identify and demarcate wetlands. He argued that construction in these zones should be regulated through scientific determination rather than being subject to blanket prohibitions or sudden reductions in protected status.