How to Check if a Property is in an FTL or Buffer Zone in Hyderabad
Since 2024, property buyers in Hyderabad have had a new question to answer before paying: is this land inside the full tank level or buffer zone of a water body? Getting it wrong has cost families their homes and their savings. Getting it right takes an afternoon and a few public records.
This guide sets out exactly how to check — the official portal, what each record tells you, and the cross-checks most buyers miss. There is also a free FTL & buffer zone risk check tool that produces a personalised checklist.
First, the two terms
Full Tank Level (FTL) is the level a lake or tank reaches when it is full, and by extension the land area within that boundary. Construction inside the FTL of a notified water body is impermissible.
Buffer zone is a prescribed strip beyond the FTL within which construction is restricted. The widths commonly applied are 30 metres for lakes larger than 10 hectares and 9 metres for smaller lakes and nalas. Because the width follows the classification of the water body, confirm the figure applicable to your specific lake rather than assuming.
Note the second half of that: nalas and storm-water drains carry buffer restrictions too. This catches more buyers than lakes do, because drains are routinely covered over and invisible on the ground while still appearing on alignment records.
The official source: the HMDA lakes portal
The primary public record is the HMDA lakes portal at lakes.hmda.gov.in. It covers Hyderabad, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Rangareddy, Sangareddy, Medak, Siddipet and Yadadri-Bhongiri districts.
Step 1 — Find the lakes for your village
Select the district, then the mandal or circle, then the village. You may also search directly by lake name or lake ID. The portal returns every notified lake for that location.
Step 2 — Read the notification stage, not just the name
For each lake the portal shows a Date of Preliminary Notification and a Date of Final Notification. This distinction matters and most buyers ignore it:
- A preliminary notification publishes the proposed boundary and opens the stage at which objections can be made. The demarcation is not yet concluded.
- A final notification concludes it.
Record which stage applies to your lake and both dates. If only a preliminary notification exists, that is relevant both to objections that may be filed and to any later challenge to the demarcation.
Step 3 — Download the FTL map and the cadastral map
The portal publishes two maps against each lake. The FTL map shows the water body boundary. The cadastral map is the more useful one for a buyer, because it overlays survey boundaries against the FTL line — which is how you locate your plot rather than a general area.
On these maps, the convention is: blue line = FTL boundary, red line = buffer zone, orange = lake embankment.
Step 4 — Check the affected survey numbers
This is the step that actually answers the question. For each lake, the portal publishes a statement of survey numbers and the area affected in the FTL and buffer zone. Search it for the survey number of the land you are buying.
A critical caution: finding your survey number on that list does not mean the entire plot is affected, and not finding it is not a clearance. Listings are by survey number and area, and an FTL or buffer boundary can pass straight through a survey number — leaving part of it affected and part not. That is precisely why the cadastral map and a physical examination on the ground both matter.
The cross-checks buyers usually skip
- Nala and storm-water drain alignment. Verify the drain alignment for the location against local body records. A covered drain is still a drain.
- Master plan land use. Confirm the land use for the plot in the GHMC or HMDA master plan, and whether any additional restriction attaches to the area.
- Ground truth. Have the boundary position examined physically against the cadastral map. Paper and ground diverge more often than people expect.
- Agricultural land. Verify the pattadar passbook, extent and current record of rights on Bhu Bharati — the system that replaced Dharani in April 2025 — and note the Bhudhaar number where available.
- Apartments. Verify the project on Telangana RERA, then verify the underlying land’s FTL position separately. A RERA registration is a project registration, not a finding on FTL.
What approvals do and do not protect
Approvals matter a great deal. A layout approval, a sanctioned building plan and an occupancy certificate are among the strongest documents you can hold, and their absence is a serious weakness.
But it is important to be honest about their limits. An approval is not a finding that land lies outside an FTL or buffer zone, and a seller cannot convey a better title than they hold. Families in Hyderabad who held valid permissions have still faced action — which is why the verification above is done independently, and why every approval, plan, receipt and utility record should be preserved rather than filed away.
Before you pay: a short discipline
- Complete the portal checks before paying beyond a token advance, and certainly before beginning construction.
- Get the survey number in writing from the seller, and verify it against the documents rather than trusting a spoken figure.
- Ask the seller directly, in writing, whether any notice, signboard, survey or proceeding concerns the land — and keep the reply.
- Where anything is unclear, have the documents examined before committing money. The cost of examination is a rounding error against the cost of being wrong.
Related guides and tools
- Free FTL & buffer zone risk check tool
- If you have received a HYDRAA notice: your rights and remedies
- Property document verification in Hyderabad: the complete checklist
Frequently asked questions
Where can I officially check if a property is in an FTL or buffer zone in Hyderabad?
On the HMDA lakes portal at lakes.hmda.gov.in. Select district, then mandal or circle, then village, or search by lake name or lake ID. For each lake the portal publishes the lake ID, the preliminary and final notification dates, the FTL map, the cadastral map, and a statement of survey numbers and areas affected in the FTL and buffer zone.
How wide is the buffer zone around a lake?
The widths commonly applied are 30 metres for lakes larger than 10 hectares and 9 metres for smaller lakes and nalas. The applicable width depends on the classification of the water body, so confirm the figure for your specific lake.
My survey number is not on the affected list. Is the property safe to buy?
Not conclusively. Absence from the list is reassuring but is not a legal clearance, because boundaries can pass through a survey number and records may be at different stages of notification. Use the cadastral map and a physical examination of the boundary on the ground, and have the documents examined before paying.
What is the difference between preliminary and final notification of a lake?
A preliminary notification publishes the proposed boundary and opens the stage at which objections may be made; the demarcation is not yet concluded. A final notification concludes it. Note which stage applies to your lake and both dates, because the stage can be relevant to objections and to any later challenge.
There is no lake near my plot. Do buffer rules still matter?
Yes. Buffer restrictions apply along nalas and storm-water drains as well, and these are often covered over and invisible on site while still appearing on drain alignment records. Check the alignment, not just the visible surroundings.
The builder has RERA registration. Does that mean the land is clear of FTL issues?
No. RERA registration is a project registration and is not a finding on the FTL or buffer position of the underlying land. Verify the land position independently on the lakes portal in addition to checking RERA.
I already bought a property and now suspect it is in a buffer zone. What should I do?
Carry out the same verification immediately so you know your actual position, and gather every approval, plan, tax receipt and utility record establishing possession. If any notice or signboard has already appeared, the position and timelines change and advice should be taken at once.
This guide is general legal information published for public awareness by Musab Hashmi & Associates, Advocates, Hyderabad. It is not legal advice, does not create an advocate–client relationship, and expresses no opinion on any particular property. Portal contents, notification stages and applicable widths change — verify the current position before acting.