Office Order No.07/2025, RAMSAR Site Development Approvals and Permissions
The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, Administration Division, issued Office Order No.07/2025 dated 9 October 2025, instructing its officers not to grant development approvals or permissions within the RAMSAR Site boundary and its influence area shown on the enclosed map. The restriction took effect on 6 October 2025 and follows a direction of the National Green Tribunal concerning the RAMSAR Site boundary and its one kilometre zone of influence.
Purpose
The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, Administration Division, issued Office Order No.07/2025 dated 9 October 2025 concerning approvals, sanctions or permissions for development in the RAMSAR Site boundary and its influence area. The operative instruction tells Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority officers not to grant approvals or permissions in the area shown on the map enclosed with the order.
Office Order No.07/2025 took effect on 6 October 2025.
Background
Office Order No.07/2025 continues an earlier direction recorded in a Principal Secretary and Member Secretary note file dated 3 October 2025. It refers to a suo motu case taken up by the National Green Tribunal after a news report titled "Road being laid inside marshland in Perumbakkam", published in The New Indian Express on 30 June 2023.
The National Green Tribunal directed the authorities not to grant approvals or permissions within:
- The RAMSAR Site boundary.
- The RAMSAR Site zone of influence extending one kilometre.
What the instruction requires
Office Order No.07/2025 gives the following direction to the listed Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority divisions and officers:
- Development approvals or permissions must not be granted within the RAMSAR Site boundary.
- Development approvals or permissions must not be granted within the influence area.
- The enclosed RAMSAR Site boundary and influence area map is to be used to identify the area covered by the restriction.
The recipients include officers dealing with the Master Plan Unit, Area Development Unit and High Rise Buildings, regularisation, enforcement, layouts, reclassification, urban transport, and right to information and appeals.
Who may be affected
Office Order No.07/2025 affects anyone seeking a Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority development approval or permission for land falling within the mapped RAMSAR Site boundary or influence area. Property owners, developers and applicants should check the enclosed map to determine whether a particular site is covered.
The supplied page identifies the map as an enclosure but does not reproduce its boundaries or provide individual survey numbers.
This summary is generated from the source document to help you find what is relevant. The PDF above is authoritative. For advice on your own property, use LandLens One or speak to a qualified professional.
Common questions
Can the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority approve development inside the RAMSAR Site boundary?
No. Office Order No.07/2025 instructs officers not to grant approvals or permissions within the RAMSAR Site boundary.
Does the restriction also apply outside the RAMSAR Site itself?
Yes. The National Green Tribunal direction covers the RAMSAR Site boundary and its one kilometre zone of influence, and the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority instruction applies to the influence area shown on the enclosed map.
How can I check whether my property falls within the restricted area?
The covered area must be identified using the enclosed RAMSAR Site boundary and influence area map. The supplied page does not list survey numbers or reproduce the map boundaries.
When did the restriction take effect?
Office Order No.07/2025 states that it took effect on 6 October 2025.
