Government To Launch Population Survey In Delhi To Resolve Land Ownership Issues In Rural Areas

New Delhi: The Delhi government has taken a significant step towards resolving the long-standing issues of identification, ownership, and documentation ambiguities of residential land in the rural areas of Delhi. A comprehensive survey of these residential areas will now be conducted, records will be prepared, and verification and computerisation will be carried out. The Delhi government is implementing this detailed process under a legal and administrative framework. This initiative will not only strengthen the land management system but will also play a crucial role in providing villagers with legal proof of ownership and financial security.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated that this is a crucial step taken by the Delhi government to ensure property ownership rights in rural residential areas and to resolve decades-old boundary disputes. Under the SVAMITVA Scheme, launched on National Panchayati Raj Day on April 24, 2020, the Delhi government has drafted the 'Delhi Abadi Deh Survey and Record Management Rules, 2025'.

This government draft clearly defines the entire methodology, from drone-based aerial surveys and field verification to the public objection process, dispute resolution, digital record keeping, and the issuance of property cards. The objective is to ensure that no individual's rights are violated and that land-related disputes are resolved in a transparent, timely, and equitable manner.

Abadi Deh Survey: Traditional Verification with Modern Technology

As per government provisions, the Abadi Deh survey process will be conducted under the direct control of the Revenue Department. The survey team and the technical agency will jointly conduct the survey work in the villages' residential areas, extended residential areas, and other notified areas using modern technologies. Digital data will be collected through drones and aerial photography to record the precise location, size, and boundaries of each plot. However, field verification will be mandatory alongside the technology-based survey. The preliminary maps prepared from the drone survey will be verified on-site to ensure that the boundaries depicted in the maps match the actual ground reality. In accordance with an agreement with the Survey of India, the Revenue Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Survey of India in April 2022 to implement the SVAMITVA scheme in 48 rural villages of Delhi. To date, drone surveys have been completed in 31 villages, and the 'Map 2.0' of 25 villages has been verified and handed over to the Survey of India for the issuance of land parcel maps and geo-referenced numbers.

Demarcation of Boundaries and Classification of Land: In the initial stage of the survey, the boundaries of the inhabited area will be physically demarcated using appropriate methods. During this process, the survey team will separately identify jointly owned land, private plots, roads, lanes, drains, community spaces, religious sites, cemeteries, crematoriums, government properties, and land areas that are not clearly visible in aerial surveys due to trees or structures. The Municipal Corporation, DDA, other departments, and the police administration will be consulted as needed to ensure that there are no obstacles during the survey and that the boundaries are not tampered with.

Computerization And Digital Portal

The government will maintain digital records of the inhabited area records. A special digital portal will be developed by the Revenue Department, through which citizens will be able to obtain copies of their land records upon payment of a fee. This step will not only ensure the security of records but also enhance transparency and accessibility. Property cards will be issued after the completion of the survey and record-keeping process. These cards will serve as legal proof of land or property ownership, facilitating rural citizens' access to bank loans, financial assistance, and development schemes.

What is Abadi Deh?

Abadi Deh literally means 'the inhabited area of ​​a village'. It is the specific land area within the revenue boundaries of a village where rural houses, barns, cowsheds, and other ancillary structures are located. Traditionally, in pre-independence surveys, the Abadi Deh area was kept separate from agricultural land; therefore, in most states, there is no official or revenue record available for this land. Due to this ambiguity, villagers living in this area do not possess any legal documentation proving ownership of their properties, leading to land disputes and preventing them from accessing financial facilities such as bank loans. The survey of inhabited land and the issuance of property cards under the 'Swamitva Scheme' is a crucial step towards providing villagers with concrete legal ownership of their properties.