Is Wetland Authority accountable to government or construction companies, asks Anbumani

The disputed decision concerns the Zone of Influence, or buffer zone, around Pallikaranai marshland. The Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority told the Madras High Court that the zone would cover only 316 acres. Ramadoss argues that such a large reduction could weaken protection around the wetland.

The National Green Tribunal had identified an 8,397-acre area and prohibited construction within one kilometre of the marshland. After private construction companies challenged that order, the Authority filed a counter affidavit. It said officials from several departments agreed on September 30, 2026, to reduce the zone to 316 acres.

Ramadoss supports setting a buffer zone, but says it must be scientifically determined. He questioned the Authority’s speed in reducing the zone while delaying the official notification of Pallikaranai. He also demanded notification of every wetland in Tamil Nadu and opposed a proposed protective wall and walkway.

The Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority is a State-level body concerned with wetlands in Tamil Nadu. The article shows it handling decisions about whether wetlands should be officially notified and how surrounding areas should be treated. Notification matters because it gives a wetland formally recognised boundaries and protection under the relevant process.

For Pallikaranai, the Authority filed a counter affidavit in the Madras High Court. The case was brought by private construction companies challenging a National Green Tribunal order. The Authority reported that officials from various departments had decided to reduce the marshland’s proposed Zone of Influence from 8,397 acres to 316 acres.

The article presents the Authority’s responsibilities through this dispute. It says the body has delayed notifying Pallikaranai and other wetlands, while moving quickly on the buffer-zone reduction. Ramadoss wants all Tamil Nadu wetlands notified and says any buffer zone should be fixed scientifically. The article does not provide the Authority’s full statutory duties.

A buffer zone, called the Zone of Influence in the article, is the surrounding area considered relevant to a wetland’s protection. Its size matters because activities around Pallikaranai can affect how much land receives protection from construction or other development. The dispute centres on whether the zone should be broad or sharply limited.

The National Green Tribunal identified 8,397 acres around Pallikaranai marshland. Its September 24 order also prohibited construction activities within a one-kilometre radius of the marshland. Private construction companies challenged that order, saying their businesses had been affected. During that case, the Wetland Authority reported a much smaller proposed zone.

At a meeting with officials from various departments on September 30, 2026, the Authority decided to reduce the buffer zone to 316 acres. Ramadoss said the zone should be scientifically determined. He also questioned why the Authority acted quickly on this reduction but had not moved with similar urgency to notify Pallikaranai officially.

Reducing a wetland’s buffer zone can narrow the area considered important to its protection. That may make construction easier outside the smaller zone, because less surrounding land would be covered by restrictions or scrutiny. The article does not state that approval automatically follows, but it links the dispute to construction companies’ business interests.

The National Green Tribunal had identified 8,397 acres and prohibited construction within one kilometre of Pallikaranai. The Wetland Authority later told the Madras High Court that the Zone of Influence would be only 316 acres. Private construction companies had challenged the Tribunal’s order, saying their businesses had been affected.

Ramadoss argues that the reduction appears to protect construction interests and could expose more of the marshland’s surroundings to development pressure. He supports a buffer zone based on scientific assessment. He also wants Pallikaranai officially notified, alongside all wetlands in Tamil Nadu, and has opposed a proposed three-kilometre protective wall and two-kilometre walkway.

The National Green Tribunal restricted construction within a one-kilometre radius of Pallikaranai marshland through an order dated September 24 last year. Such a restriction limits building activity close to the wetland while its protection and surrounding influence area are considered. The article presents the order as a measure affecting development near Pallikaranai.

Private construction companies filed a case seeking to quash the Tribunal’s order. They said their businesses had been affected by the restriction issued a year earlier. The Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority responded by filing a counter affidavit in the Madras High Court and reporting a proposed reduction in the wider buffer zone.

The article does not state the Tribunal’s detailed scientific or legal reasoning for choosing one kilometre. It does show that the order became part of a larger dispute over wetland protection, construction interests, and the size of Pallikaranai’s Zone of Influence. Ramadoss supports protection, but wants boundaries and buffers scientifically determined.

Officially surveying and notifying Pallikaranai’s boundaries would establish the marshland’s recognised extent. That matters because unclear or unnotified boundaries can make protection harder to enforce. The Supreme Court’s direction was specifically intended to protect the marshland from decades of degradation, according to Ramadoss’s statement.

The article says the Supreme Court issued its judgment on December 11, 2024. It directed that Pallikaranai’s boundaries be surveyed and officially notified. Ramadoss contrasted that instruction with the Wetland Authority’s later action on the buffer zone, which it reported to the High Court after a meeting on September 30, 2026.

Ramadoss questioned why the Authority had moved with “lightning speed” to reduce the buffer zone but had shown no similar urgency in carrying out the Supreme Court’s direction. He demanded immediate notification of Pallikaranai and every wetland in Tamil Nadu. The article does not report whether the boundary survey has been completed.

A wetland is land that is covered by water permanently or seasonally, including marshes and similar ecosystems. Wetlands matter because they can hold excess rainwater and slow its movement, helping reduce flood peaks. Their wet soils and shallow waters also provide habitat and breeding areas for many plants and animals.

Wetlands can also improve water security. They may filter sediments and some pollutants, recharge groundwater, and store water for later use. These functions depend on the wetland remaining connected and undamaged, so filling or building over surrounding areas can reduce its ability to absorb water and support wildlife.

The article gives Pallikaranai as a local protection dispute. The Supreme Court directed that its boundaries be surveyed and officially notified after decades of degradation. The Tribunal restricted construction within one kilometre, while the Authority later proposed a 316-acre buffer zone instead of 8,397 acres. Ramadoss wants scientific protection for Pallikaranai and all Tamil Nadu wetlands.