Among the announcements were industrialists, educationists, doctors, businessmen, film actors and politicians including Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Rajya Sabha member and MNM chief Kamal Haasan and TVK president C. Joseph Vijay. Photo: The Hindus
After six years, the Madras High Court has now resumed hearing a huge batch of cases related to the alleged illegal construction of bungalows, resorts, guesthouses and estates along the tide line of East Coast Road (ECR) in Chennai.
Anita Sumanth and Mummineni Sudheer Kumar noted that the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) had issued notices in 2018 against 798 properties that were allegedly constructed in violation of rules between Neelangarai and Uthandi.
The notifications were issued after the Supreme Court pulled up enforcement agencies for turning a blind eye to structures built within 200 meters and between 200-500 meters of the high tide line in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notifications.
Among the announcements were industrialists, educationists, doctors, businessmen, film actors and politicians including Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Rajya Sabha member Kamal Haasan and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C. Joseph Vijay.
The judges also found that 440 of the 798 property owners have filed either statutory appeals or revisions as provided for in the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971, but only 84 of these appeals have been disposed of till date and the rest are still pending.
The Bench was further told that the officer who was holding the post of Additional Secretary (Technical) in the Housing and Urban Development Department heard all these appeals/revisions in 2024 but retired from service in 2025 without issuing any orders.
The court was also informed that presently Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority Chief Planner (Road Transport) S. Kanchanamala was serving as Additional Secretary (Technical) in the Housing and Urband Development Department on deputation.
A bench headed by Justice Sumanth therefore directed the incumbent to hear all pending statutory appeals as well as revisions between February 23 and March 30, 2026 by allowing the property owners or their representatives to file their defence.
To make it clear that this court order should be treated as a notice of hearing and property owners should not expect any new notice of hearing from the appropriate officer, the judges said that all appeals/revisions must be disposed of by May 31, 2026.
The Bench said that revisions and appeals have to be disposed of by issuing oral/reasoned orders. He directed the state government to retain Ms. Kanchanamala as Additional Secretary (Technical) in the Housing and Urban Development Department until she completes the exercise.
“We are compelled to state this as the petitioners are aggrieved by the fact that the erstwhile Appellate/Revisional Authority CS Murugan, who heard 440 appeals from October to December 2024, retired in January 2025 without dealing with it,” the judges added.
They also said that both the GCC and CMDA officials concerned will be free to proceed according to law against property owners who have not filed statutory appeals or revisions against lock and seal or demolition notices issued to them.
A senior counsel appointed as amicus curiae in the case told the division bench that it is very important to protect the long coastline in Chennai not only because it is aesthetically pleasing but also because it has to be preserved from an environmental point of view.
He said the coastal stretch serves as a nesting ground for Olive Ridley turtles and was the last remaining source of fresh water in a water-stressed economy. He, therefore, urged the court to order a list of unauthorized constructions behind Uthandi as well, so that proceedings could be initiated against these buildings as well.
After hearing him, the judges directed the High Court Registry to list a number of cases on February 27, 2026 for further orders.
Published – 19 Feb 2026 20:34 IST