CHENNAI: BJP's national co-incharge for Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, on Tuesday urged the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to launch an urgent investigation into the alleged illegal clearances granted to the Brigade Morgan Heights housing project at the ecologically sensitive Pallikaranai Ramsar Wetland in the city.
In a letter addressed to Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, Sudhakar Reddy alleged that the project in Perumbakkam, within the Pallikaranai wetland zone, was approved in blatant violation of environmental safeguards and statutory norms. He stated that the clearances defy the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and were marked by "administrative lapses and potential collusion" among multiple government departments.
Citing media reports and complaints from Tamil Nadu BJP's state leadership, he pointed out that the approvals involved "misrepresentation of site proximity, historical land fraud, and post-approval manipulation." He accused the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), Forest Department, and Water Resources Department of possible complicity in granting the project's clearance.