Classification of Land

Classification of Land

The person acts as Solicitor of buyer or seller of property shall have thorough knowledge about the classification of land. I am trying to focus some light on this matter.

The land is classified into various types according to the use, owner, etc.

According to use

o   Agricultural land

o   Habitation land /Residential land

o   Waste land

o   Communal land

o   Water body

o   Industrial land

Let us see each classification of lands one by one.

Agricultural lands

Agricultural land means cultivable or cultivated lands. This is also known as Vivasaya nilam, vayal, kazhani, etc. These are further classified into the following.

Wet land or Nanja land

Dry land or Punja land

Nanja Lands

The land, cultivable, where paddy can be produced, is called Nanja or Nanjai nilam. In English, this term is known as wet land

Punja Lands

The land, cultivable, where pulses and cereals (that is to say other than paddy) are produced, is called Punja or Punjai nilam. In English, this term is known as Dry Land.

Naththam

Naththam means land wherein habitations are situated or simply we can say the popular term “residential site” is situated here.

On this site, residents build their houses and appurtenants which include puzhakadai (back yards), workers’ shed, etc.

The Naththam was further classified into the following.

o   Gram Naththam

o   Cheri Naththam

o   Naththam Porampoke

Gram Naththam means the village occupied by caste Hindus. Cheri Naththam means the sur-urbs of village occupied by lower castes as per the earlier caste system. Please note that at present there is no caste based classification in vogue. Naththam Porampoke means the lands or sites owned by government but occupied by residents. In Southern Tamil Nadu, the term Naththam means porampoke.

Tharisu nilam

The uncultivated lands, uncultivable lands are classified as tharisu nilam, which means non-yielding or barren land, simply waste land.

Porampoke

Poram or puram means outside, out skirt or apart; and poke or pokku means went. Thus Porampoke means kept outside or settling apart. The lands which may be cultivable but not cultivated or unfit for cultivation due to its location are kept aside and reserved for some purpose and communal lands are called purampokku or Porampoke and owned by Government.

The Porampoke lands are further classified into various kinds according to the purpose for which they are reserved. They are:

o   Eri Porampoke (Lake/ tank)

o   Aathu Porampoke (River)

o   Vaikkaal porampoke (Channels and canals)

o   Maeichal porampoke (Graze land/ Pasture)

o   Salai porampoke (Road)

o   Samudhaya porampoke (Communal land)

o   Temple site

o   Cremation/ burial ground

o   Threshing floor

o   Naththam porampoke (Habitation sites)