PMK leader Anbumani alleges major scam in Pallikaranai marshland project

PMK president Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss on Thursday claimed there is a 'grand scam' in the projects related to the Pallikaranai marshland. He alleged that officials are attempting to weaken the protective measures of this wetland to benefit real estate developers. Dr. Anbumani has demanded that Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay intervene in the matter and halt projects that could damage the marshland and its natural drainage channels.

According to a report by The Hindu, Dr. Anbumani raised questions over the construction of roads and pedestrian walkways inside the marshland. He demanded that the government identify the officials who approved this project, which was funded by a World Bank loan of ₹21.5 crore. He alleged that a bund has been constructed in the wetland, upon which a walking track with polished granite and tiles has been prepared.

Satirising the construction, he asked, “Who will go for a walk there? Will the birds walk there?” He further stated that this bund is approximately 10 feet high, which could obstruct the movement of water between different parts of the wetland. He added that the Forest Minister had stated the bund was only 1.5 feet high, and therefore requested the Minister to personally verify it.

Expressing concern over environmental damage, Dr. Anbumani said that the Pallikaranai marshland was approximately 15,000 acres a century ago, which has now shrunk to only about 2,000 acres. He warned that if the protection provided by Pallikaranai is destroyed, the city could face floods even more terrible than those of 2015.

Referring to the directives issued by the Supreme Court in 2024 and July of this year, he said that the state government has failed to complete the process of notifying the wetlands. Along with this, he questioned the functioning of the Tamil Nadu Wetland Authority, formed in 2018 and reconstituted in 2024. He alleged that not a single meeting of this authority has been held since 2024.

Dr. Anbumani further stated that the government now seeks to reduce the Zone of Influence (ZoI) through proceedings in the Madras High Court. According to him, the area originally marked as ZoI was approximately 8,000 hectares, but officials are proposing to reduce it to about 300 hectares.

He clarified that he is not against development, but it is wrong to destroy nature for the sake of development. He suggested that if builders have land and plots, they may construct, but first, the marshland and its drainage channels should be mapped separately so that the flow of water from 65 ponds and reservoirs is not obstructed.

Accusing senior officials of misleading the government and the courts, he said that if the Chief Minister does not intervene directly, people will remember this incident as the biggest corruption during his tenure.