Drones Made In Pune Being Used To Map Gurugram Every 3 Months

MUMBAI: Officials in Gurugram, one of India's fastest growing cities, are using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to update land records in a pilot project that could be rolled out across the country if rules governing the use of drones were simpler, authorities said.

Haryana's Project Udaan ("flight") is mapping the technology hub of Gurugram, a satellite town of Delhi, and the towns of Sohna and Manesar nearby.

The drone images are being used to update decades-old land records, check encroachments and resolve disputes over land and property.

"While land records are meant to be updated every five years, this is not done regularly and there are invariably errors, even with satellite imagery," said TL Satyaprakash, Deputy Commissioner in Gurgaon.

"That is why we are using drones, as they are more precise. So we can verify and rectify the land records before they are digitised," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

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Haryana state officials sourced drones from Science and Technology Park, Pune to take high-resolution images every three months to record boundaries, illegal constructions and encroachments of forests and public lands, Mr Satyaprakash said.

These images were then checked against existing land records and verified with village councils in rural areas before being updated, said RS Hooda, chief engineer at Haryana Space Applications Centre, which is also working on the project.

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"Drones are cheaper now compared to some years ago, as they are being made in India, and the images are far superior to satellite images," he said.

"This project can be replicated elsewhere quite easily, but the guidelines for drone use are rather strict, including where they can fly, so their use is limited."

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India has embarked on a land record modernisation programme to survey lands, upgrade records and establish ownership. The project is scheduled to conclude in 2021 at a cost of $1.6 billion.

Delays in mapping lands and authenticating ownership have caused disputes that stall development projects, sparking lengthy court battles.

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Rules governing the use of drones differ in every state, with permissions needed from the local police and the Defence Ministry.

Drones are barred from flying over certain areas, including military facilities, the entire air space over Delhi, and near international borders.