Delhi govt to undertake drone surveys of Abadi Deh areas in villages

Delhi government will conduct a comprehensive survey of Abadi Deh areas in villages using drones to strengthen the land management system, officials said on Friday.

The survey will be conducted by the Revenue Department using aerial photography, along with mandatory ground verification. Boundaries will be physically demarcated and land categories identified, with support from municipal bodies, the DDA, and the police where required.

This will play a decisive role in providing villagers with legal proof of ownership and financial security.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the government has taken a historic and transformative step towards ensuring property ownership rights in rural Abadi Deh areas and resolving decades-old boundary disputes.

Abadi Deh literally means the ‘inhabited area of a village’. It refers to that specific land area within a village’s revenue boundary where rural residences (houses), threshing floors, cowsheds and other ancillary structures are located, said an official statement.

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Traditionally, in pre-Independence surveys, Abadi Deh areas were kept separate from agricultural land, resulting in no official or revenue records for this land, leading to disputes and a lack of legal proof of ownership, it added.

For effective implementation of the SVAMITVA Scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Delhi Government has prepared a draft of the Delhi Abadi Deh Survey and Record Management Rules, 2025, the statement said.

The draft defines the operational framework from drone-based aerial surveys and field verification to public objection procedures, dispute resolution, creation of digital records and issuance of property cards, it added.

The Revenue Department signed an MoU with the Survey of India in April 2022. Drone surveys have been completed in 31 villages, and ‘Map 2.0’ for 25 villages has been verified.

Abadi Deh records will be fully computerised through a dedicated digital portal, and property cards will be issued to enable access to bank loans, financial assistance and development schemes, the chief minister said.