Land mapping surveys using drones have been completed in 2.15 lakh villages, facilitating the preparation of over 1 crore property cards as on 2022, the government said in the Economic Survey 2023 released on January 31.
Drone surveys are being conducted through the Union Government's Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) scheme, which was launched in 2020.
Drones of many start-ups such as Aereo (previously Aaraav Unmanned Systems), Garuda Aerospace, and others, have been helping in this scheme by creating accurate land records for rural planning and reducing property related disputes.
The Economic Survey said that the surveys have been completed in states such as Haryana, Uttarakhand, Goa and Union Territories such as Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.
Over 1 crore property cards has been prepared with the help of this process for 65,000 villages. "Property cards of all the inhabited villages of Haryana followed by Uttarakhand and Puducherry has been prepared," the Economic Survey added.
Meanwhile, the government reiterated its commitment to strengthen the "up-and-coming drone industry".
"Under Mission 'Drone Shakti', the drone start-ups and Drone-as-a-Service (DrAAS) are being promoted. Almost 90 percent of the airspace has now been opened up as a green zone for flying drones up to 400 feet. A Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for drones and drone import policy have been notified," the government informed in the survey.
