NGT questions horticulture park on Madras Race Club land

CHENNAI: The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the State government to submit a report explaining why the 118 acres of land once occupied by the Madras Race Club in Guindy should not be developed as a waterbody instead of using it for horticultural gardens, green spaces, and public utilities.

While hearing a case pertaining to flooding in Velachery, the bench comprising judicial member Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati observed that the erstwhile Madras Race Club land, the possession of which was taken by the government, could be created as a waterbody in the upstream of Velachery.

This would help impound water before reaching the Velachery area, it said, adding that it would also increase the storage capacity while minimising the flood risk, which is a recurring event in Velachery, the tribunal pointed out.

'However, the said land, which has come in handy for this purpose, is now given to the Department of Horticulture and Plantation Crops for establishing public horticultural gardens, public green spaces, and public utilities," it noted.

Earlier during the hearing, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) submitted a report stating that the capacity of Velachery lake would be increased by 22 per cent after taking up restoration work.

But, the tribunal said it was not known whether restoration would be sufficient to hold the water at least to the extent of the original capacity of the tank.

The tribunal said the water spread area of Velachery lake, which previously extended to 255 acres, has now been reduced to merely one-fifth, with the remaining area having been allotted under various government schemes. It was neither disputed nor denied that the lands that have been occupied by government agencies formed part of the original area of the lake.

Directing the chief secretary to submit a comprehensive report on the issue, the tribunal posted the next hearing on July 15.