Is this plot in a flood prone area? Check the exact spot
Flooding in Chennai follows low-lying ground and the Adyar and Cooum river basins street by street, so instead of a list of areas this check reads the mapped flood inundation extent at your pin and at up to 12 points on the plot's edge. You see whether the plot is inside, partly inside or outside a mapped flood zone, and the price is 1 credit per pin, charged only when the layer gives a real answer.
Sign in with your phone to run it. You see the price and approve it before anything runs.
- The pin and up to 12 points on the plot's edge read, so part of a plot in a flood zone is caught
- The parcel located under the pin
- The severe layers (monument buffers, reserve forest, Ramsar wetland, swamp, flood, water bodies, the Redhills catchment) swept at the same pin, shown only if they hit
1 creditper run, charged when the register answers
What we need
One thing at a time. Fill it in and press Run.
The answer
From the register, with its date and source.
Nothing run yet. The answer appears here with everything this mini adds:
- The pin and up to 12 points on the plot's edge read, so part of a plot in a flood zone is caught
- The parcel located under the pin
- The severe layers (monument buffers, reserve forest, Ramsar wetland, swamp, flood, water bodies, the Redhills catchment) swept at the same pin, shown only if they hit
The flood check, briefly
An area mapped as prone to flooding from historical flood records, ground level and drainage, and closeness to rivers, lakes and reservoirs. In Tamil Nadu the risk peaks in the northeast monsoon, October to December, and during cyclones.
- Points read
- Centre plus up to 12
The plot's outline is walked as well as its centre, so a plot whose corner dips into a mapped extent is reported as partly inside.
- Peak season
- October to December
The northeast monsoon and the cyclones that come with it bring most of the state's flooding.
- Answer
- One plot, not a list
Two streets in the same locality can sit on opposite sides of a mapped extent, so the answer is for the plot under your pin.
How to check if a plot in Chennai is in a flood zone
- 1
Place the pin on the plot
Tap the plot on the map, paste a Google Maps link to it, or use your location while you stand on it.
- 2
Press Run
The survey parcel under the pin is found, and its centre and outline are read against the mapped flood inundation extents.
- 3
Read the verdict
Inside, part of the plot inside, or outside. Any other severe layer that hits, such as a water body or the Redhills catchment, is shown below it.
When it helps with land
Before an advance
A plot in a mapped flood extent costs more to build on and to live in. Find out before the sale agreement, not after the first monsoon.
Choosing between two plots
Run both pins. Locality names say little; the mapped extent at each plot says more.
Planning the plinth
A flagged plot is a reason to raise the plinth and plan the drainage before the drawings are made.
Outside the mapped extents is not a promise that the plot never floods. Blocked drains, built-over tanks and new construction flood streets that were never mapped, as Chennai saw in 2015. Ask the neighbours about past water levels and look at the ground level and the nearest water body too.
Questions people ask
Which are the flood prone areas in Chennai?
Low-lying ground, the Adyar and Cooum river basins and the coastal zones flood most often, but flooding is decided street by street rather than by locality name. This check does not print a list of areas; it tells you whether the plot under your pin falls in a mapped flood inundation zone.
Is Medavakkam, Perungudi or Sholinganallur a flood prone area?
It depends on the plot, not the locality: one street can sit inside a mapped flood extent while the next is outside it. Drop a pin on the plot you are looking at and the check reads the flood map at that plot and along its edges.
How do I check whether my plot floods?
Drop a pin on the plot and press Run. The answer says whether the plot's centre or any of up to 12 points on its outline falls in a mapped flood inundation zone.
Can I build on land in a flood zone?
Usually, with conditions such as a raised plinth, drainage provisions and the planning authority's consent. What changes most is the cost and the risk to the building every monsoon, so check the zone before you buy.
Why do areas away from rivers still flood?
Low-lying ground, blocked or missing storm drains, concrete that stops water soaking away, and tanks and lakes that were built over. Chennai's 2015 flood reached areas that had never been marked as flood prone.
Does outside the flood zone mean the plot is safe?
No. It means the mapped flood extents do not reach the plot. Ask about past water levels in the street and check the nearest water body and the ground level as well.
How is it charged?
1 credit per pin, charged only when the layer gives a real answer. If the read fails, nothing is charged.