The Madras High Court on Monday quashed land acquisition process for the Rs 10,000 crore Chennai-Salem eight-lane green corridor project, holding it required a mega realignment as the proposed route would have an adverse effect on environment.
Chennai:
A special bench of Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Bhavani Subbarayan passed the order allowing a batch of petitions by 35 land owners and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss.
The bench observed the project would have an adverse effect on the environment, water bodies and it needed a mega realignment.
The state government issued a notification last May and began acquiring land for the project, evoking strong protests from the farmers.
The project became a major campaign point for the opposition parties against the ruling AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre.
According to the court, environmental clearance was necessary for the road project and the report submitted by the consultant was not satisfactory.
The proposed expressway will pass through the districts of Kancheepuram, Tiruvannamalai, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Salem.
The court had on December 14, 2018, reserved orders on the batch of petitions, challenging land acquisition proceedings.
The ambitious 277.3 km long eight-lane greenfield project connecting Salem and Chennai under the Centre's 'Bharatmala Pariyojana' scheme aims to cut travel time between the two cities by half to about two hours and 15 minutes.
However, it has been facing opposition from a section of locals, including farmers, over fears of losing their land, besides environmentalists who are against felling of trees for it.
Reacting to the court order, DMK President M.K. Stalin said the land kept by the farmers for their livelihood was taken away by the government let by Chief Minister K. Palaniswami with the help of the police.
Stalin said Palaniswami should announce that the state government will not appeal against the High Court order.
Speaking to the media, Ramadoss said: "This is a victory for the farmers. There is no need for this project. This is what we have said in our manifesto."
He said there was no link between the election and the judgement.
Speaking to a TV channel, Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar said the government will not implement projects that would affect farmers.
He said the judgement has to be studied.
(With inputs from IANS)