NAKSHA scheme was recently launched by the Union Rural Development Minister to improve urban land records. The initiative is being launched as a pilot project in 152 urban local bodies across 26 states in India.It will be implemented by the Department of Land Resources (DoLR), Ministry of Rural Development.Cities with an area of less than 35 sq km and populations under 2 lakh will be selected for this program.The pilot will be completed within a year and cover 4,142.63 sq km of urban areas.After the completion of the pilot project, the initiative will be scaled up to cover 4,912 urban local bodies across India.
NAKSHA Scheme
- NAKSHA (National Geospatial Knowledge-based Land Survey of Urban Habitations) is a geospatial technology-driven city survey initiative under the existing Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP).
- Aim: To create and update land records in urban areas to ensure transparency, efficiency, and accuracy in property ownership documentation.
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development.
- Implemented by: Department of Land Resources, in collaboration with Survey of India, and National Informatics Centre Services Inc. (NICSI)
Objectives
- Modernise urban land records: Ensure accurate, updated, and digitalized land ownership records.
- Enhance urban planning: Facilitate smart city development and infrastructure planning.
- Reduce land disputes: Minimize property disputes through clear, verifiable records.
- Foster transparency: Establish a Web-GIS-based IT system for land record management.
- Support sustainable development: Improve urban governance and land resource management.
Key features
- Launched as a pilot project in 152 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs): Across 26 States and 3 Union Territories (UTs).
- Cities selected meet two criteria: area less than 35 sq km, and population less than 2 lakhs. The pilot project will be completed in a year.
- As per the Census 2011, India has 7,933 towns covering 1.02 lakh square km of the total 32.87 lakh square km geographical area of the country. NAKSHA will cover 4,142.63 square km of area.
- Estimated cost of pilot project: ₹194 crore (100% funded by Government of India).
- Drone-based land survey: High-precision aerial surveys for accurate mapping.
- Web-GIS platform: End-to-end IT-based land record management system.
- Public accessibility: Citizens can access digital land records for ease of living.
How will the Survey be conducted
Use of drone technology:
- Aerial photography using two types of cameras: Simple cameras & Oblique angle cameras (5 cameras with LiDAR sensors).
- Mounted on drones with 5 cm resolution, much sharper than satellite imagery.
Three-Stage survey process:
Drone Survey & Data Collection:
- Select survey area and create a flight plan for drone survey.
- Drones capture images, from which data is extracted.
Field Survey & Data Verification:
- Ground verification of property tax, ownership, and registration records.
- 2D/3D models are created, and draft land ownership details are published.
Public Review & Finalisation:
- Claims and objections are reviewed.
- Grievance redressal is conducted.
- Final maps are published.
Potential benefits
- Will provide comprehensive digital urban land records.
- Reduce land disputes and facilitate faster and efficient urban planning.
- Improve property tax collection and simplify property transactions.
- Enhances access to credit by streamlining ownership records.