Madras High Court stays land transfer to protect elephant corridors

A special division bench of the Madras High Court, which hears environment and forest-related cases, has stayed the process of transferring 196 acres of land belonging to Bharathiar University in Coimbatore to the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO). This land was intended to be used for establishing non-polluting or technology-based industries.

According to a report by The Hindu, the petitioner, S. Muralidhar, a resident of Chennai, drew the attention of the bench comprising Justice N. Satish Kumar and Justice G.K. Muthukumar to a government order (G.O.(Ms) No.89) issued by the Higher Education (H2) Department on March 14 this year. This order instructed the transfer of 196 acres of university land to TIDCO for the development of technology-based industries.

The government order also provided that 77 acres of university land located at the foothills of Marudhamalai would be taken over by the government to be used as an elephant corridor (migration route).

The court observed that in 2024, when the petitioner challenged the previous government's plan to develop a 'Tech City' in this area, the court had issued two orders to maintain status quo. The court noted that this area is used as a migration route for elephants.

In the order passed on October 30, 2026, the bench stated, "When it is accepted that this area is used as a migration route for elephants, it is our opinion that transferring such lands for industrial purposes will destroy not only the corridor but the entire ecosystem prevailing in that area." For these reasons, the court has stayed the government order issued by the Higher Education (H2) Department in March.

The High Court has now directed the Special Government Pleader to file a report on the matter. The next hearing of this case will take place on January 8, 2027, by which time the report must be submitted.