Notifications under the Tamil Nadu Forests Act

What this Gazette notification does

The Tamil Nadu Government Gazette, Part II, Section 2, dated September 19, 2012, carries Environment and Forests Department notifications issued through G.O.(Ms) No. 115 dated 17th April 2012, G.O.(Ms) No. 116 dated 17th April 2012, G.O.Ms. No. 117 dated 17th April 2012 and G.O.Ms. No. 125 dated 3rd May 2012. These notifications deal with land being treated as Reserved Forest under the Tamil Nadu Forest Act, 1882.

The Gazette also plainly says that one earlier notification is cancelled. Environment and Forests Department Notification No. II(2)/EF/1711/98, published in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette dated the 16th September 1998, is cancelled.

Areas declared as Reserved Forest

The Environment and Forests Department notifications declare the following forest blocks as Reserved Forest, with effect on and from 11th April 2013:

• Nakkalakaradu Forest Block, Andipatti Taluk, Theni district, previously Madurai district.
• Kurunthoor Forest Block, Devakottai Taluk, Sivagangai district.
• Kannamoochi Forest Block, Mettur Taluk, Salem district.
• Veppilaikaradu Forest Block, Periyakulam Taluk, Theni district, previously Madurai district.

For each block, the Gazette gives identifying details such as:

• district and taluk name,
• village number and village name,
• survey field number or numbers,
• name of the forest block,
• extent or area,
• full boundary description.

Why this matters for land owners and buyers

This Gazette matters if your land, proposed purchase, survey number or boundary touches any of the villages and survey fields named in these schedules. The published schedules are the official description of the land declared as Reserved Forest.

A buyer, owner or land professional should check:

• whether the village name matches,
• whether the survey field number is listed,
• whether the boundary description touches neighbouring land,
• whether the land falls in Theni, Sivagangai or Salem districts in the notified locations.

Key points from the published text

• The declarations are made by the Governor of Tamil Nadu.
• The legal basis stated in the Gazette is Section 16 of the Tamil Nadu Forest Act, 1882.
• The effective date stated for the declarations is 11th April 2013.
• For Nakkalakaradu Forest Block, the Gazette states admitted rights as Nil.
• The Gazette includes detailed boundary descriptions intended to identify the exact land covered.

If your property records mention these forest blocks, villages or survey numbers, this Gazette is directly relevant to title checking and boundary verification.