Context: 

NAKSHA scheme was recently launched by the Union Rural Development Minister to improve urban land records. 

More on the news: 

• 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.

Key Features of NAKSHA

• NAKSHA is part of the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP).
• It aims to create comprehensive and accurate geospatial urban land records.
• The program integrates aerial photography, field surveys, and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to enhance land governance, improve property transactions, and aid urban planning.
• The NAKSHA initiative is 100% centrally funded, with the pilot project expected to cost around Rs 194 crore.
• The end-to-end web-GIS platform will be developed by the Madhya Pradesh State Electronic Development Corporation (MPSEDC), and storage facilities will be provided by the National Informatics Centre Services Inc. (NICSI).
• States and Union Territory governments are scheduled to conduct field surveys and ground truthing using the orthorectified imagery, ultimately leading to the final publication of urban and semi-urban land records.
• The Survey of India is the technical partner for the NAKSHA program, which is responsible for conducting aerial surveys and providing orthorectified imagery, through third-party vendors, to state and Union Territory governments. 

Survey and Mapping Process

Aerial Survey:

• Two types of cameras (simple and oblique angle cameras with LiDAR sensors) mounted on drones will be used to capture high-resolution images of urban areas.
• These cameras offer a ground resolution of 5 cm, much better than existing satellite images, which have resolutions of 30 cm (ESA satellites) and 50 cm (ISRO satellites).

Three-Stage Survey Process:

• Stage 1: Aerial photographs will be taken during a drone flight over the selected urban area to gather initial data.
• Stage 2: A field survey will be conducted to verify ground conditions, linking property tax, ownership, and registration details with each land parcel. 2D and 3D models will be prepared, and draft land ownership details will be published.
• Stage 3: Claims and objections will be addressed through grievance redressal and the final maps will be published.

Expected Benefits:

• Comprehensive digital urban land records to streamline property transactions.
• Improved property tax collection and faster urban planning.
• Reduction in land disputes and better decision-making for urban development.
• Improved access to credit for property owners.