What land is being acquired for NH 49 and where
The land is being acquired for the NH 49 national highway under the National Highways Act 1956. Every notice was published in the central gazette.
The notices cover 2878 survey numbers in 44 villages across three districts: Madurai, Ramanathapuram and Sivagangai.
The villages fall in the Madurai South, Madurai West, Usilampatti, Manamadurai, Thiruppuvanam, Paramakudi, Ramanathapuram and Rameshwaram taluks.
The notices do not take whole villages. Each notice lists particular survey numbers, and often subdivisions, with the extent required from each. Only the land described in the schedule of a notice is affected.
The notices and their stage
Acquisition for a national highway runs in two main steps. First, the Central Government publishes a notice of intention under section 3A, which describes the land it proposes to acquire.
Any person interested in that land may object to the use of the land for the highway under section 3C. The objection must be made within three weeks from the date the 3A notice is published. The competent authority hears the objections and decides them.
Second, the Central Government publishes a declaration under section 3D. Once a 3D declaration is published, the land vests absolutely in the Central Government, free from all encumbrances. If no 3D declaration is published within one year of the 3A notice, that 3A notice lapses.
For NH 49 the first notice is dated 8 September 2014 and the latest is dated 1 September 2026. Of the 30 notices, 14 are 3D declarations. The latest 3A notices are dated 3 March 2026, covering 11 villages, and 25 August 2026, covering 1 village. The latest 3D declaration, dated 1 September 2026, covers 9 villages.
None of the notices has been fully withdrawn, and none is recorded as corrected later. A village may appear in more than one notice, so check the stage of your own survey number in the specific notice that lists it.
Villages covered by the NH 49 notices
Ramanathapuram district has the largest share. Pamban has 393 survey numbers listed, Mandapam 317, Enmanamkondan 146, Pirappanvalasai 131, Soorakottai 128, Keelakottai 118 and Rameswaram 116.
Ramanathapuram district villages: Pamban, Mandapam, Rameswaram, Enmanamkondan, Pirappanvalasai, Soorakottai, Nagachi, Kalukoorani, Landai, Patinamkathan, Kuyavankudi, Perunkulam, Achuthanvayal, Valantharavai, Thoruvallur, Palankulam, Athankarai, Sathakon Valasai, Nochiyoorani, Keelakottai, Ettivayal, Manjoor, Theeyanur, Ariyanendal, Urappuli, Kumukottai, Bogalur, Kattuparamakudi, Ariyakudi and Vallakulam.
Madurai district villages: Vilacheri, Sambakkudi, Erkudi and Vadivelkarai in Madurai West taluk, Pullaneri in Usilampatti taluk, and Silaiman and Virahanur in Madurai South taluk. Vilacheri has the most, with 101 survey numbers.
Sivagangai district villages: Manalur, Thiruppachetti North, Thiruppachetti South and Keeladi in Thiruppuvanam taluk, and Kirungakottai, Vagudi and Rajakambiram in Manamadurai taluk. Manalur has the most, with 47 survey numbers.
No survey number in any of these villages has been recorded as withdrawn.
What to do if your land is listed
First, confirm whether your exact survey number and subdivision appear in a notice schedule, and note the extent required. A neighbouring subdivision being listed does not mean yours is.
If your land is in a 3A notice and the three week period is still open, you may file a written objection with the competent authority for land acquisition. Keep proof of filing.
Compensation is decided by the competent authority under section 3G after a 3D declaration. If either side does not accept the amount, it can be referred to an arbitrator appointed by the Central Government. Keep your patta, chitta, adangal, sale deeds and encumbrance certificate ready, because payment goes to the persons shown to be interested in the land.
If you are a buyer, check every survey number in the deed against the NH 49 notices before you pay any advance. Land covered by a 3D declaration already vests in the Central Government, so a seller cannot pass good title to that portion. Land under a 3A notice alone is also a serious risk.