Is this plot in the Redhills catchment area?
The Redhills catchment is the land that drains into Puzhal lake (புழல் ஏரி), a 3,300 million cubic feet reservoir that is one of Chennai's main drinking water sources, and the Second Master Plan for the Chennai Metropolitan Area (2026) restricts building inside it. This check reads the mapped catchment boundary at your pin and says whether the plot is inside it, for plots in Chennai and Tiruvallur districts.
Sign in with your phone to run it. You see the price and approve it before anything runs.
- Inside or outside the catchment at the pin
- Honest coverage: Tiruvallur and Chennai only
- 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:
- Inside or outside the catchment at the pin
- Honest coverage: Tiruvallur and Chennai only
- 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
Redhills catchment, briefly
The watershed around Puzhal (Redhills) lake that collects rainwater and channels it into the reservoir. Development inside it is restricted to protect the quality and quantity of Chennai's drinking water.
- The lake
- 3,300 mcft
Puzhal lake stores 3,300 million cubic feet and takes water from the Poondi and Cholavaram reservoirs before it is treated for the city.
- Covered
- Chennai, Tiruvallur
The layer maps the catchment in these two districts. A pin anywhere else reads not covered, never clear.
- Who decides
- CMDA and Metrowater
What may be built inside the catchment is set by CMDA and the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board.
How to check if a plot is in the Redhills catchment area
- 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 read against the mapped Redhills catchment boundary.
- 3
Read the verdict
Inside the catchment, or close to its boundary, is flagged and the answer says which. Any other severe layer that hits is shown below.
When it helps with land
Plots around Puzhal
Layouts in Puzhal, Redhills and the villages around the lake sit close to the catchment line. Check which side of it a plot is on.
Before an approval
A plot inside the catchment needs CMDA and Metrowater to agree to what is planned. Ask them before the drawings are made.
A cheap plot near the lake
A price that looks low for the area can reflect a catchment restriction. Find out before paying an advance.
Outside the mapped boundary is not a building permit. The planning authority, the Master Plan land use zone and the water board still decide what is allowed, and a plot near the lake can carry other conditions such as a water body or flood flag.
Questions people ask
What is the Redhills catchment area?
The land that drains into Puzhal (Redhills) lake, one of Chennai's main drinking water reservoirs with a capacity of 3,300 million cubic feet. Development inside it is restricted to protect the city's water.
Is there a Redhills catchment area map?
Yes. This check reads the mapped catchment boundary at your plot rather than showing a city-wide picture: drop a pin and it says whether the plot is inside the boundary.
Can I build in the Redhills catchment area under the 2026 master plan?
Areas designated as Redhills catchment in the Second Master Plan for the Chennai Metropolitan Area (2026) are generally closed to construction. What a particular plot may carry is decided by CMDA and the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, so ask them before you buy.
What about existing buildings in the catchment?
Existing legal structures may continue, but changes to them usually need permission, and illegal structures can face demolition orders.
Which districts does the check cover?
Chennai and Tiruvallur. A pin in any other district reads not covered, because the layer holds no data there, and that is never shown as clear.
How is it charged?
1 credit per pin, charged only when the layer gives a real answer. A not covered answer or a failed read is not charged.