Tamil Nadu Cyclone Prone Area Special Building Rules, 1982 (1982)
The Governor of Tamil Nadu issued the Tamil Nadu Cyclone Prone Area Special Building Rules, 1982 through Rural Development and Local Administration under G.O. Ms. No. 1352, dated 2 September 1982. The rules add cyclone-resistant planning and construction requirements for specified coastal local bodies, and the supplied text includes amendments made by SRO A 44/87, dated 2 January 1987.
What the rules govern
The Tamil Nadu Cyclone Prone Area Special Building Rules, 1982 apply to Municipalities, Townships and Town Panchayats covered by Chapters IX and X of the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Act, 1920 and located within twenty kilometres of the coast in Chengalpattu, South Arcot, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts.
The rules cover new construction, reconstruction, additions and alterations. Where an addition affects an existing structure, the requirements apply to the entire building to that extent. They operate in addition to the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Building Rules, 1972 and prevail where the two sets of rules are inconsistent.
Who is affected
The Tamil Nadu Cyclone Prone Area Special Building Rules, 1982 affect land developers, building owners and persons carrying out covered construction work in the specified local bodies. The responsible authority is:
- The Commissioner, or an officer delegated by the Commissioner, for a Municipality.
- The Executive Officer for a Township or Town Panchayat.
A multi-storeyed building is defined as a building with more than four storeys or a height of 15 metres or more. Public buildings include educational institutions, hostels, libraries, hospitals, clinics, meeting and marriage halls, clubs, choultries, safety shelters, lodging houses, hotels, eating houses and places of public religious worship or congregation.
Key planning and building requirements
The Tamil Nadu Cyclone Prone Area Special Building Rules, 1982 include the following provisions:
- Roads of 15 metres width and above in new layouts must be aligned with the specified or local wind direction. Dead-end roads are not permitted.
- Large residential layouts must reserve at least one thousand square metres for a cyclone shelter.
- Sites exposed to abnormally high wind speeds are unsuitable, while natural wind-breakers should be used where possible.
- Buildings should be staggered and oriented to reduce wind effects. Certain long, irregular or projecting forms are restricted for buildings above a single storey or 4 metres.
- Building height is limited by the adjoining street width and the shorter building dimension.
- Design wind load from the National Building Code must be increased by 15 per cent for buildings up to 15 metres and 20 per cent for taller buildings.
- Public buildings require a plinth 5 metres above the highest flood level.
- Walls, foundations and roofs must be securely connected and anchored. Pitched roofs must have a slope between 30 and 40 degrees.
- Openings, windows, ventilators, overhangs, projections and parapets are subject to specific cyclone-safety controls.
This summary is generated from the source document to help you find what is relevant. The PDF above is authoritative. For advice on your own property, use LandLens One or speak to a qualified professional.
Common questions
Do these cyclone building rules apply everywhere in Tamil Nadu?
No. They apply only to the specified Municipalities, Townships and Town Panchayats within twenty kilometres of the coast in Chengalpattu, South Arcot, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts.
Do the rules apply when I alter or extend an existing building?
Yes. They apply to reconstruction, additions and alterations. If an addition affects the existing structure, the requirements apply to the entire building to that extent.
Which rules prevail if these requirements conflict with the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Building Rules, 1972?
The Tamil Nadu Cyclone Prone Area Special Building Rules, 1982 prevail where there is an inconsistency. Otherwise, they apply in addition to the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Building Rules, 1972.
When did the Tamil Nadu Cyclone Prone Area Special Building Rules, 1982 commence?
The supplied text says they were published and commenced on 2 September 1982 and also identifies publication in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette dated 22 September 1982. The commencement clause contains a separate bracketed Gazette reference dated 22 September 1986, and the source notes that the original publication document was unavailable and could not be verified.
