22 Sea-Facing Buildings on ECR Face Demolition for Coastal Zone Violations

Twenty-two apartment buildings on East Coast Road’s picturesque Muttukadu coast are being investigated for CRZ norm breaches, with demolition hanging in the balance. These beach-facing apartments—partially completed and some still in the course of construction—are located within the No Development Zone (NDZ) of CRZ-III, where permanent constructions are not allowed within 200 metres from the high tide line.

A tour by the district team, conducted by Chengalpattu Collector S. Arunraj, found a minimum of six buildings under construction during the field visits despite bans in place. Others are high-end multi-storey residences already built along this ecologically fragile corridor. The tours, taking the form of GPS-tagged photographs as proof, were part of an Action Taken Report submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

The NGT, that had suo motu cognisance of the violations, expressed concern in a hearing on Thursday. Tribunal expert member Satyagopal Korlapati asked why no demolitions had been started, even as clear-cut violations were accepted by the administration.

As chairperson of the District Coastal Zone Management Authority (DCZMA), the District Collector can take action against unauthorized development. The Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority (TNSCZMA) nevertheless informed the tribunal that it had submitted the list of offenders to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, asking for its position on whether or not it could go ahead with demolitions without central sanction.

The court will now rule whether local governments may proceed with demolition on their own, or wait for additional instructions from the Centre. A ruling is pending in a few weeks time.

This case highlights increasing friction between unbridled coastal development and the preservation of vulnerable ecosystems under India’s coastal protection legislation.