Is this land inside a reserve forest?
Land inside a reserve forest cannot be bought or sold privately: it is government forest declared under section 20 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, and a deed for it conveys nothing. This check reads the Tamil Nadu reserve forest boundaries (over 2,100 mapped reserve forests) at your pin, names the forest on a hit, and looks the survey under the pin up in the Forest Department's survey verification list.
Sign in with your phone to run it. You see the price and approve it before anything runs.
- Inside a reserve forest boundary or not, with the forest's name
- The survey also matched against the forest verification list
- 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 a reserve forest boundary or not, with the forest's name
- The survey also matched against the forest verification list
- 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
Reserve forests, briefly
Forest land declared under section 20 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, the most protected category of forest: owned by the government and managed for conservation, with the private rights inside it settled when it was declared.
- Mapped
- 2,100+
Reserve forest boundaries across Tamil Nadu, read at the plot under your pin.
- The law
- Section 20, 1927
The Indian Forest Act, 1927 declares a reserve forest. Inside it there are no private rights to sell.
- Second source
- Survey list
The Forest Department's survey verification list is read for the survey under the pin, so a survey it records as forest is flagged even if the map misses it.
How to check if land is in a reserve forest in Tamil Nadu
- 1
Place the pin on the land
Tap the land 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 reserve forest boundaries and the Forest Department's survey list.
- 3
Read the verdict
Inside a reserve forest names the forest. A survey the department lists as forest is reported as forest land.
When it helps with land
Hill and foothill land
Farm land and resort plots on the edge of the hills often share a boundary with a reserve forest. Check which side of the line the plot is on.
An old patta with a new boundary
When the forest was declared, private rights inside it were settled. A patta that predates the declaration does not carry land back out of the forest.
Before a bank loan
A survey the Forest Department lists as forest is a reason a lender or a Sub-Registrar may refuse. Find it first.
This check says inside or outside; it does not give the distance to the forest edge. Land next to a reserve forest can be private but may sit in an eco-sensitive zone or need the Forest Department's consent for building and tree felling. Confirm the classification with the Revenue Department and the District Forest Officer before you pay.
Questions people ask
What is a reserve forest?
Forest land declared under section 20 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, the most protected category: owned by the government and managed for conservation, with no private rights inside it. Tamil Nadu has over 2,100 mapped reserve forests.
How do I check whether my land is in a reserve forest?
Drop a pin on the land and press Run. The answer says whether the plot falls inside a mapped reserve forest, names it, and adds what the Forest Department's survey verification list records for the survey under the pin.
Can I buy land inside a reserve forest?
No. Land inside a reserve forest is government forest and cannot be held or sold privately; a deed for it conveys nothing. Land next to a reserve forest can be private.
Are there rules for building next to a reserve forest?
Yes. Land near a reserve forest can fall in an eco-sensitive zone or a forest buffer where construction, tree felling and certain industries need the Forest Department's consent. Run the eco-sensitive zone check as well before planning.
Is Pallikaranai marsh a reserve forest?
Yes, it is a reserve forest and a Ramsar wetland, not an eco-sensitive zone. For a plot near it, the Ramsar site check measures the distance to the marsh and its 1 km zone.
What is காப்புக் காடு?
காப்புக் காடு (kappu kadu) is the Tamil term for a reserve forest, the land declared under section 20 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 that cannot be sold privately.
How is it charged?
1 credit per pin, charged only when the layer gives a real answer. If the read fails, nothing is charged.