NAKSHA (NAtional geospatial Knowledge-based land Survey of urban HAbitations) is a pioneering one-year pilot programme launched by the Department of Land Resources (DoLR) under the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP). It aims to revolutionize urban land records across 157 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in 27 States and 3 Union Territories, covering over 4484 sq. km and benefiting 1.5 crore+ citizens.
Using cutting-edge aerial and field survey techniques, NAKSHA is building a comprehensive, GIS-integrated database of urban land parcels. The initiative is being implemented with the technical support of Survey of India, NICSI, MPSeDC, and five national Centres of Excellence.
Why NAKSHA:
With over 600 million people projected to reside in Indian cities by 2031, the need for accurate and accessible urban land records has never been more critical. NAKSHA plays a pivotal role in addressing this demand by enabling transparent property ownership, streamlining urban planning processes, and supporting better infrastructure development. It also contributes to enhancing municipal revenue collection, strengthening disaster preparedness and response, and boosting public trust and private investment through reliable, legally certified land data.
About NAKSHA Programme:
The National geospatial Knowledge-based land Survey of urban Habitations (NAKSHA) programme is a city survey initiative under the existing Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP).
It is spearheaded by the Department of Land Resources (DoLR), under the Ministry of Rural Development.
Under the new initiative, maps of towns and cities will be prepared. The programme has been launched as a pilot across 152 urban local bodies in 26 states.
The cities selected meet two criteria: area less than 35 sq km, and population less than 2 lakhs. The pilot will be completed in a year.
The Survey of India is the technical partner for NAKSHA programme which is responsible for conducting aerial surveys and providing orthorectified imagery, through third party vendors, to state and Union Territory governments.
Three Methodologies of Aerial Survey:
1.2D Nadir Camera – ORI, DEM, 2D dataset : (80 ULBs)
Oblique Angle Camera (5 cameras) – ORI, DEM, 3D reality Model, 3D GIS dataset: (48 ULBs)
Oblique Angle Camera (5 cameras) and LiDAR sensor – ORI, DEM, 3D reality Model, 3D GIS dataset, Bare earth: (24 ULBs)
