HC Clears Way for CMRL Skywalk, Sewer Line on OSR Land in Vadapalani

The High Court of Madras allowed Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) to construct a skywalk and lay a new sewage pipeline on open space reservation (OSR) land in Vadapalani next to Forum Vijaya Mall. The land is currently under the care of Trellis South Flat Owners Welfare Association.

The order, issued by Justice M. Dhandapani, directs CMRL to complete the infrastructure work by May 2026. The OSR land in question was originally gifted to the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) on February 2, 2016, and was later handed over to CMRL to facilitate public infrastructure projects.

CMRL approached the court after identifying the OSR land as the only viable route to address a critical sewerage issue. Repeated road works on the 100-feet road had severely damaged the existing sewage system linked to Phase I of the Vadapalani Metro. Following a joint inspection with Chennai Metrowater, authorities determined that a new connection to Arcot Road could only be achieved by passing through the OSR land.

The court said that permission had already been granted in the past for the skywalk; the revision to the petition now included the sewage works too. The skywalk intends to link the two phases of the Vadapalani Metro station to facilitate the movement of pedestrians and ensure the safety of passengers.

The issue of inconvenience to residents will be addressed minimally by CMRL, and with full cooperation with other concerned agencies, he assured the court. Thus, the CMRL has also been allowed by the High Court to expedite the important metro infrastructure works from one of Chennai’s busiest transit hubs.