In January 2023, Saravanan a resident of Cheyyur village in Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu filed a petition in the National Green Tribunal against the expansion of the East Coast Road (ECR).
The expansion of the ECR had been planned to decongest traffic between Mahabalipuram and Pondicherry. The petitioners demanded for a realignment of a 1.7 Kilometre stretch of the road that adjoins the Odiyur lagoon. They claimed that the construction of a road over it would affect the ecology of the lagoon.
According to a survey carried out by Palluyir Trust, a civil society organisation based in Chennai, Odiyur lagoon is home to about 20,000 water birds and a wetland that was mapped under the National Wetland Inventory and Assessment. It is a declared important bird and biodiversity area (IBBA) under Criterion A4i and a crucial stopover site for migratory birds in Tamil Nadu. It is also considered a potential Ramsar site.
The project which is expected to cost Rs 2200 crore, might consume a part of the Odiyur Lagoon, which could disturb the ecology of the water body.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the implementing body, has submitted the realignment plan.
In March 2024, the same petitioner filed another case with NGT for dumping debris across the tidal channel that links the Odiyur lagoon and the sea. The debris were dumped to erect the pillars to build a bridge across the channel, which was blocking the free flow of the natural tidal water to the lagoon from the sea. The MoEF&CC had awarded CRZ clearance with specific condition to ensure the free flow of water.
In April, the NHAI [informed](https://www.dtnext.in/news/tamilnadu/odiyur-lagoon-will-be-cleared-by-january-2026-nhai-780257#:~:text=CHENNAI%3A The National Highway Authority,be completed by January 2026.) the NGT that the soil and debris dumped in the Odiyur lagoon will be removed within one month of the construction of a major bridge as part of ECR widening. This hearing was regarding the earlier petition against soil being dumped into the eco-sensitive lagoon and earlier order by Tribunal to reconsider the the alignment of project between Chennai and Puducherry near Odiyur.
On 4 July 2024, the NGT ordered the NHAI to halt the construction of a cofferdam from one side of Odiyur lagoon in order to allow unrestricted flow of tidal water and adjourned the matter to August 2024.
On the visit to the Odiyur lagoon, LCW researcher found that the debris had been cleared on the northern half end of the Lagoon to ensure the free flow of the water. But the stones laid in the Odiyur wetland to mark the boundary of the road extent remained as per the original alignment. The road has been constructed without any new land acquisition on the opposite side of the wetland.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Opposition against environmental degradation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand to proceed with the project only if the proposed expansion is through realignment
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common
Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project underway despite protests
Original Project Deadline
2025
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Yes
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Water bodies
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Yes
Source/Reference
NGT Judgement
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
2200
Type of investment:
Cost of Project
Year of Estimation
2022
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
No
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Violation of environmental laws
Lack of legal protection over land rights
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Pending
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
No
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
National Green Tribunal (Southern Zone)
Case Number
OA No:05/2023(SZ), OA No:106/2024 (SZ)
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
No
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Tamil Nadu
Kumar Sambhav is a social entrepreneur and award-winning journalist, leading innovative research in accountability investigations. He is the founder of Land Conflict Watch and is currently working as India Research Lead with Princeton University’s Digital Witness Lab.
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