Madurai Court Modifies Stay on Construction at Sundaram Park: Stalls Excluded

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court partially modified an interim order on Wednesday, lifting a restriction on construction work at Sundaram Park in Madurai. The court allowed authorities to continue with the project, except for the construction of 40 proposed food stalls.

This decision came during a hearing of a petition filed by the Madurai corporation, challenging the stay order issued in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against the food stalls planned under the Vandiyur Beautification Project. The project, launched in July 2023 with a budget of Rs 50 crore, involves enhancing the park area situated near the Vandiyur Tank. The petitioners raised concerns about potential littering and contamination from the food stalls, which would be located on the park’s bunds, near the water body. Additionally, they pointed out that the authorities had not obtained a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the water resources department for the commercial construction.

In response to these concerns, the additional advocate general requested more time to present the NOC for the stalls’ construction. The judges, taking this into account, allowed work to proceed on other aspects of the park while excluding the construction of the stalls until further clarity on the NOC is provided.

This ruling highlights the need for balance between development and environmental preservation, ensuring that commercial ventures like food stalls do not adversely affect public resources like water bodies. The ongoing case will likely impact future planning for public space developments.