Kerala CRZ
Kerala Crz Preview
Try the Kerala CRZ on the map
Sign in once and explore the layer for a full day.
- No card details needed
- Find nearby verified lands for sale
Overview
The Kerala CRZ layer plots the Coastal Regulation Zone footprint along Kerala's 580 km coastline and the connected backwater system, governed by CRZ Notification 2019 (G.S.R. 37(E)) with amendments up to 24 November 2022. The Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA), under the Department of Environment and Climate Change, is the regulatory body. The 2019 CZMPs for all 10 coastal districts were approved by MoEFCC in November 2024, making Kerala one of only four states with an approved CZMP under CRZ 2019, alongside Odisha, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, reducing total NDZ (No Development Zone) area in Kerala from 239.431 sq km under CRZ 2011 to 108.397 sq km. This page shows what falls inside CRZ-I, II, III A, III B, and IV across Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod.
Regulatory Red Flags After the Maradu Demolition
Kerala is the only state in India where the Supreme Court has actually ordered apartment demolitions for CRZ violations. The Maradu CRZ violation case (Supreme Court order 8 May 2019) ended with four occupied apartment complexes in Kochi imploded on 11-12 January 2020. The court rejected the builders' argument that the area was CRZ-II under the draft 2011 CZMP, holding that the 1996 KCZMP classifying Maradu as CRZ-III was the operative plan when permits were issued.
The fact-pack on what each zone permits in Kerala, drawn from CRZ Notification 2019 and the 1996/2019 CZMPs.
Zone Code
Permitted Use
Requires CRZ Clearance?
Prohibited Without?
Commonly Misrepresented?
CRZ-I A
Mangroves, sand dunes, turtle nesting, Vembanad CVCA
No new construction; only utility
Any building
Sold as "lakefront resort plots"
CRZ-I B
Inter-tidal between LTL (Low Tide Line) and High Tide Line
Salt works, pipelines only
Houses, resorts
Marketed as "beachfront"
CRZ-II
Built-up urban municipal areas (66 panchayats added in 2019 CZMP)
Yes, on landward side
Construction on seaward side
Confused with CRZ-III rural
CRZ-III A
Densely populated rural; NDZ 50 m from HTL (High Tide Line) (37 panchayats in Kerala)
Beyond NDZ only
Construction inside 50 m
Quoted as "approved layout"
CRZ-III B
Sparse rural; NDZ 200 m from HTL
Beyond NDZ only
Anything inside 200 m
Sold without disclosure
CRZ Backwater Islands
HTL to 20 m landward
Limited dwellings only
Resorts, multi-storey
Sold as "private island plots"
CRZ-IV B
Backwaters and tidal water bodies
Fishing only
Reclamation, dwellings
Sold as "houseboat plots"
Zone Code
Permitted Use
Requires CRZ Clearance?
Prohibited Without?
Commonly Misrepresented?
CRZ-I A
Mangroves, sand dunes, turtle nesting, Vembanad CVCA
No new construction; only utility
Any building
Sold as "lakefront resort plots"
CRZ-I B
Inter-tidal between LTL (Low Tide Line) and High Tide Line
Salt works, pipelines only
Houses, resorts
Marketed as "beachfront"
CRZ-II
Built-up urban municipal areas (66 panchayats added in 2019 CZMP)
Yes, on landward side
Construction on seaward side
Confused with CRZ-III rural
CRZ-III A
Densely populated rural; NDZ 50 m from HTL (High Tide Line) (37 panchayats in Kerala)
Beyond NDZ only
Construction inside 50 m
Quoted as "approved layout"
CRZ-III B
Sparse rural; NDZ 200 m from HTL
Beyond NDZ only
Anything inside 200 m
Sold without disclosure
CRZ Backwater Islands
HTL to 20 m landward
Limited dwellings only
Resorts, multi-storey
Sold as "private island plots"
CRZ-IV B
Backwaters and tidal water bodies
Fishing only
Reclamation, dwellings
Sold as "houseboat plots"
If a builder shows you a panchayat permit but no KCZMA recommendation, treat it the way the Supreme Court treated Maradu: void from the start. The 1996 KCZMP remained operative for clearance decisions until the 2019 plans were notified, and many disputed parcels still get adjudicated against the older map. The No Development Zone (NDZ) stacks on top of any local Town and Country Planning approval.
Growth Corridors Around Kochi, Vembanad and the Malabar Coast
Kerala's coastal property market splits into three personalities. The Kochi-Ernakulam axis is mostly CRZ-II urban with selective backwater CRZ-IV B exposure. The Vembanad backwaters Kochi to Alappuzha stretch is a Critical Vulnerable Coastal Area (CVCA) with the strictest restrictions. The Malabar coast (Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasaragod) is mixed CRZ-III A and III B, where the CZMP 2019 Kerala has reclassified 37 panchayats from CRZ-III B to III A, reducing NDZ from 200 m to 50 m.
The corridors most asked about, mapped against CRZ classification under the 2019 CZMP.
Corridor / Locality
Zone (Kerala CZMP 2019)
Growth Driver
Known Risk
Maradu, Kochi (Chilavannoor lake)
CRZ-II under 2019; CRZ-III in 1996 plan
Urban redevelopment
Pre-2019 permits still litigable
Marine Drive, Kochi
CRZ-II + CRZ-IV B
Premium waterfront
Reclamation history scrutinised
Vembanad lake, Alappuzha
CVCA + CRZ-I A
Houseboat tourism
Blanket restriction; private builds blocked
Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram
CRZ-III mix
Tourism, leisure
NDZ enforced; Hazard line marked
Bekal, Kasaragod
CRZ-III + CRZ-I sand dunes
BTDC (Bekal Tourism Development Corporation) tourism push, fort
Dune buffer locks parcels
Kannur airport ribbon
CRZ-III B fringe
Connectivity, NRI demand
Fringe parcels misquoted as "outside CRZ"
Backwater islands (Kumarakom, Vypin)
20 m CRZ from HTL
Resort, second home market
20 m island rule; no relaxation
Corridor / Locality
Zone (Kerala CZMP 2019)
Growth Driver
Known Risk
Maradu, Kochi (Chilavannoor lake)
CRZ-II under 2019; CRZ-III in 1996 plan
Urban redevelopment
Pre-2019 permits still litigable
Marine Drive, Kochi
CRZ-II + CRZ-IV B
Premium waterfront
Reclamation history scrutinised
Vembanad lake, Alappuzha
CVCA + CRZ-I A
Houseboat tourism
Blanket restriction; private builds blocked
Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram
CRZ-III mix
Tourism, leisure
NDZ enforced; Hazard line marked
Bekal, Kasaragod
CRZ-III + CRZ-I sand dunes
BTDC (Bekal Tourism Development Corporation) tourism push, fort
Dune buffer locks parcels
Kannur airport ribbon
CRZ-III B fringe
Connectivity, NRI demand
Fringe parcels misquoted as "outside CRZ"
Backwater islands (Kumarakom, Vypin)
20 m CRZ from HTL
Resort, second home market
20 m island rule; no relaxation
The most misunderstood corridor is the Vembanad backwater belt. Buyers see houseboats and tourism activity and assume resorts are unlocked. Vembanad is a Critical Vulnerable Coastal Area listed in CRZ Notification 2019 itself, with CRZ-I A status across mangrove and Pokkali stretches. Private resort approvals here face both KCZMA clearance and CVCA-specific restrictions, and post-Maradu the courts treat panchayat permits in this belt with deep suspicion.
For Land Owners & Agents
Looking to sell your land in Kerala?
I want to sell my land in Kerala
10:32
Plz share your Land's location - We will list it on 1acre map, for Free.
10:32
For Land Buyers
Browse all verified lands & plots in Kerala
Every listing goes through our Preliminary Verification Process.
More Layers in Kerala
See all 11 layers
Kannur Masterplan: AMRUT Zone Check and Land Use Guide
View Kannur Masterplan as a live map overlay – check any plot's land use zone for free on 1acre.in. Kannur City Master P...
Kollam AMRUT Masterplan: Zone Check and Land Use Guide
View Kollam Masterplan as a live map overlay – check any plot's land use zone for free on 1acre.in. Kollam City Masterpl...
Kozhikode City Masterplan 2040: AMRUT Zone Check and Land Use Guide
View Kozhikode Masterplan as a live map overlay – check any plot's land use zone for free on 1acre.in. Kozhikode masterp...
More Layers in Kerala
Kannur Masterplan: AMRUT Zone Check and Land Use Guide
View Kannur Masterplan as a live map overlay – check any plot's land use zone for free on 1acre.in. Kannur City Master P...
Kollam AMRUT Masterplan: Zone Check and Land Use Guide
View Kollam Masterplan as a live map overlay – check any plot's land use zone for free on 1acre.in. Kollam City Masterpl...
Kozhikode City Masterplan 2040: AMRUT Zone Check and Land Use Guide
View Kozhikode Masterplan as a live map overlay – check any plot's land use zone for free on 1acre.in. Kozhikode masterp...
Frequently Asked Questions
Kerala CRZ covers the entire 580 km coastline within 500 metres of HTL, plus 50 metres along tidal creeks and 20 metres along backwater islands. It is governed by CRZ Notification 2019 and the state CZMP under KCZMA, with the 1996 plan still relevant for pre-2019 disputes.
The 2019 CZMPs for all 10 coastal districts were approved by MoEFCC in November 2024, making Kerala one of only four states with an approved CZMP under CRZ 2019, alongside Odisha, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. Applications submitted between the 2019 notification and November 2024 may need re-evaluation under the newly operative rules.
Match your survey number against the approved 2019 CZMP map on the KCZMA portal. The plot will read CRZ-I, II, III A, III B, IV, or backwater island. The 2019 CZMP for 10 districts has been approved; cross-check with the older 1996 plan if your purchase predates that.
Use 1acre's Premium map layer (https://1acre.in/subscribe) to overlay the KCZMA CRZ boundary on your survey number and confirm which zone applies before approaching KCZMA for a clearance application.
Yes, but only beyond the NDZ in CRZ-III, on the landward side of existing roads in CRZ-II, and never within 20 m of a backwater island's HTL. KCZMA clearance is mandatory regardless of panchayat or municipal permits, as the Maradu demolition confirmed.
NDZ in CRZ-III A and CRZ-III B depends on Census 2011 density. CRZ-III A (37 Kerala panchayats above 2,161 per sq km) gets 50 m. CRZ-III B gets 200 m. Along tidal water bodies, NDZ is 50 m or creek width, whichever is less.
The 50m NDZ is now strictly enforced in these 37 panchayats — existing structures inside 50m without KCZMA clearance face retrospective scrutiny.
KCZMA recommends clearance for CRZ-II and CRZ-III projects through the Parivesh portal under MoEFCC F.No. IA3-12/1/2022-IA.III dated 29.11.2022. Local Self Government Institutes handle initial verification. CRZ-I and CRZ-IV proposals require MoEFCC clearance at the Centre.
The Supreme Court ordered demolition of five Kochi apartment complexes on 8 May 2019 for building permits issued by Maradu panchayat without KCZMA approval in CRZ-III. Four buildings were imploded on 11-12 January 2020. Owners later got refunds without interest.
Yes. CRZ on coastal and backwater islands extends from the High Tide Line to 20 metres landward, applied uniformly under CRZ Notification 2019. Vypin, Kumarakom, and other backwater islands fall under this rule, and the 20 m setback applies regardless of how the local panchayat classifies the area.
Yes. Total NDZ area in Kerala dropped from 239.431 sq km under CRZ 2011 to 108.397 sq km under the 2019 CZMP. 37 village panchayats moved from 200 m NDZ to 50 m NDZ as CRZ-III A, and 66 panchayats were brought into CRZ-II.
66 panchayats newly classified as CRZ-II under the 2019 CZMP — existing structures in these areas without KCZMA clearance may face retrospective scrutiny.
Source
Official Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority documents
Official Website
kczma.kerala.gov.in
Coordinate Reference System
EPSG:4326 (WGS 84)
Geometry Type
Polygon / MultiPolygon
Data Format
Vector (GeoJSON) + Raster Tiles
Last Verified
May 2026
Status
Active
Was this layer helpful?
Anything wrong, outdated, or missing we want to hear it.