Close down 87 illegal resorts in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, orders Madras High Court

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The resorts had been operating without obtaining planning permission/building approval from the Directorate of Town and Country Planning. | Photo Credit: GOVARTHAN M

The Madras High Court has ordered immediate closure of 87 resorts functioning in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve without obtaining planning permission/building approval from the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP). The court had directed the Erode Collector to act against other illegal resorts too.

A special Division Bench of Justices N. Sathish Kumar and G.K. Muthukumaar constituted to hear forest and environment related cases issued the interim direction on a public interest litigation petition filed by R. Karpagam, through her counsel SP. Chockalingam, seeking stringent action against the illegal establishments.

In a status report filed in response to the PIL petiton, the Collector told the court that the 87 resorts had not obtained DTCP approval. On perusal of records, the judges found that those resorts had also not obtained Hill Area Conservation Authority’s (HACA) permission for coversion of land use from residential to commercial.

“We are of the view that action has to be taken to immediately close down all the illegal buildings. Further action has to be taken for demolition of those buildings also,” the judges wrote after hearing the submissions made by amici curiae T. Mohan, Chevanan Mohan, Rahul Balaji and M. Santhanaraman.

Mr. Chockalingam brought to the notice of the special Bench that two illegal resorts, against which the district administration had already initiated action, had filed individual writ petitions challenging the proceedings and obtained favourable interim orders from another Division Bench of the High Court.

“It is relevant to note that the matter relating to illegal resorts in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve is being heard by this Division Bench specially dealing with forest cases. Suppressing the pendency of the matter before this Division Bench and obtaining orders from a different Bench itself clearly indicates that those establishments have not approached the Court with clean hands,” the special Bench led by Justice Kumar said.

In order to avoid passing of conflicting orders, it directed the High Court Registry to tag those two writ petitions too along with the present PIL petition and list them together before the special Bench after obtaining necessary administrative orders from the Chief Justice.

On yet another complaint from the petitioner’s counsel that some of the resorts, subjected to lock and seal proceedings, were still functioning through backdoor, the special Bench said: “The resorts which are found to not have valid licences and permissions shall be proceeded against and shall be locked and sealed in accordance with law, followed by demolition action as per law.”

The Bench also called for a further status report from the Collector by November 27, 2026.

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