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Free check · Kerala · sources up to 2018

Is rainwater harvesting mandatory for your building in Kerala?

Mandatory for residential: floor area 100 sq m+ and plot 200 sq m+; other occupancies: all new buildings. Answer a few questions about your plot to see whether it applies to you.

Building

Common buildings in Kerala

The answer for typical plots, new buildings, roof taken as 70% of the plot. Use the checker for your own sizes.

BuildingAnswer
House on a 100 sq yd (gaj) plotNot mandatory
House on a 200 sq yd plotNot mandatory
House on a 300 sq yd plotMandatory
Villa on a 500 sq yd plotMandatory
Apartment block on 1,500 m²Mandatory
Shop or office on 400 m²Mandatory
School on 4,000 m²Mandatory
Factory on 10,000 m²Mandatory

For an existing building, tick the box in the checker: most rules are written for new buildings.

The rule in Kerala

The Kerala Municipality Building Rules require workable rooftop rainwater harvesting in new buildings. For houses, this applies where the floor area is 100 sq m or more and the plot is 200 sq m or more. Other building groups (commercial, institutional and listed industrial types) have no size threshold. Exemptions may apply where waterlogging is common or the subsoil is impermeable.

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Rainwater harvesting cost in Kerala

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Frequently asked questions

Is rainwater harvesting mandatory in Kerala?

Mandatory for residential: floor area 100 sq m+ and plot 200 sq m+; other occupancies: all new buildings. The Kerala Municipality Building Rules require workable rooftop rainwater harvesting in new buildings. For houses, this applies where the floor area is 100 sq m or more and the plot is 200 sq m or more. Other building groups (commercial, institutional and listed industrial types) have no size threshold. Exemptions may apply where waterlogging is common or the subsoil is impermeable.

Is rainwater harvesting mandatory for a 200 gaj house in Kerala?

No, the state rule does not make it mandatory for your building. Kerala Municipality Building Rules, 1999 - rule 109A, inserted by the KMBR (Amendment) Rules, 2004 (later 2009 rules carry it forward): residential: floor area 100 sq m+ and plot 200 sq m+; other occupancies: all new buildings. It applies from a plot area of 200 m² or more; your plot is 167 m². It also needs a total floor area of 100 m² or more; your floor area is 234 m².

How do I check if my building in Kerala needs rainwater harvesting?

Enter your plot area, roof area and number of floors in the checker on this page, in square feet, square yards (gaj) or square metres. It compares them with Kerala's rule, Kerala Municipality Building Rules, 1999 - rule 109A, inserted by the KMBR (Amendment) Rules, 2004 (later 2009 rules carry it forward), and tells you whether it applies and why.

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