Registration Department Circular on Protecting Water Bodies
The Head of the Tamil Nadu Registration Department issued Letter No. 56291/C1/2025 on 5 March 2026, directing all Sub-Registrars to follow the Commissioner of Land Administration's instructions for protecting lands classified as water bodies. It requires water body survey numbers in the Prohibited Module to be checked and reinforces the prohibition on registering documents relating to such lands.
Purpose
Letter No. 56291/C1/2025, issued on 5 March 2026 by the Head of the Tamil Nadu Registration Department, circulates water body protection instructions issued by the Commissioner of Land Administration. The instructions followed a judgment of the High Court of Madras dated 8 October 2025 concerning construction on land classified as a water body.
The Registration Department has asked every Sub-Registrar to comply without fail and to verify the details of water body survey numbers entered in the Prohibited Module.
Who is affected
The Registration Department letter is addressed to all Deputy Inspectors General of Registration, District Registrars and Sub-Registrars. It directly affects anyone seeking registration of a document relating to land recorded as a water body.
The attached Commissioner of Land Administration circular also applies to district authorities and officials dealing with construction approvals, public services, encroachments and public buildings on water body land.
Key instructions
The Commissioner of Land Administration's circular requires officials to:
- Prepare a list of public buildings located on lands classified as water bodies.
- Refuse construction, reconstruction or repair on lands classified as water bodies.
- Strictly prohibit registration of documents relating to lands classified as water bodies.
- Refuse electricity service, water connection, property tax assessment, plan approval and layout approval for structures on such lands.
- Identify suitable alternative land and mark existing public buildings on water bodies for relocation.
- Take disciplinary action and recover money from officers responsible for allowing unauthorised construction or services.
- Treat delay or non-compliance as a violation of court orders.
- Remove encroachments under the relevant Acts.
- Maintain classification extracts, inspection notes, photographs and other proper records.
The circular also says that water body classifications should not be changed to regularise encroachments. Only relocation of encroachers to other unobjectionable poramboke land is permitted.
Relevance to property transactions
Letter No. 56291/C1/2025 requires Sub-Registrars to check water body survey numbers recorded in the Prohibited Module. A buyer, owner or document presenter dealing with land classified as a water body may therefore be unable to register a document relating to that land, regardless of whether buildings or public institutions already exist there.
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Common questions
Can a document concerning land classified as a water body be registered?
No. The Commissioner of Land Administration's instructions state that registration of documents relating to lands classified as water bodies is strictly prohibited.
What must Sub-Registrars check before dealing with water body land?
The Tamil Nadu Registration Department directs Sub-Registrars to verify the details of water body survey numbers entered in the Prohibited Module and to follow the circulated instructions without fail.
Can an existing encroachment be regularised by changing the land classification?
No. The circular says the classification of water body land should not be altered. It permits only relocation of encroachers to other unobjectionable poramboke land.
Does an existing government or public building make construction on water body land permissible?
No. Public buildings on lands classified as water bodies must be listed and marked for relocation after suitable alternative land is identified. Further construction, reconstruction or repair on water body land must not be approved.
