New DelhiA key component of the proposed directorate will be a dedicated drone cell that will conduct high-resolution aerial surveys and use advanced geospatial technologies to update and verify land records. (Archive)The Delhi government, in a bid to modernise land administration in the Capital, is planning to establish a directorate of survey and settlement to create a unified system to manage land-related information and services, officials said on Tuesday.This will involve functions, such as protection against encroachment, and monitoring property and land registration.Officials said the proposed body will function as a nodal agency for maintaining land records and overseeing land surveys across Delhi. The directorate is expected to be created under the proposed Delhi Land Management Act, which the government is preparing to bring in to ensure that all land records are brought under a single administrative framework.“The government is working on creating the directorate of survey and settlement. Delhi’s land records are currently fragmented. To ensure there is a nodal agency for maintaining records and facilitating land segregation, the government plans to establish this body,” said an official familiar with the development, on condition of anonymity.At present, land records in Delhi are maintained by multiple agencies, leading to fragmentation and challenges in accessing accurate ownership and mapping information, the official said. The directorate aims to address these issues by serving as a one-stop centre for land-related services.According to officials, the directorate will function under the revenue department and will integrate ownership details, mapping data, and other related services within a single administrative structure. The move is expected to improve efficiency, transparency, and accessibility in land management.A key component of the proposed directorate will be a dedicated drone cell that will conduct high-resolution aerial surveys and use advanced geospatial technologies to update and verify land records. Officials said the initiative will help improve mapping accuracy, identify encroachments, and reduce disputes related to land ownership and boundaries.“This is an ambitious project. The drone cell will play a crucial role in carrying out surveys across Delhi and creating an accurate and updated land database,” the official said.Officials added that Geospatial Delhi Limited (GSDL) has already been conducting drone surveys for the revenue department and the government now plans to institutionalise and expand such efforts through the dedicated drone unit.The exercise, however, is expected to be time-consuming. According to officials, surveying the entire city and updating records through drone-based mapping could take three to four years.The proposal builds on the Delhi government’s ongoing push towards digital land management. Earlier this year, the government announced plans to issue a unique 14-digit identification number for every parcel of land in the city under the Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) system. To generate these identifiers, authorities will rely on high-quality geospatial data and drone imagery obtained from the Survey of India.