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DIGITAL PHOTOGRAMMETRY REACHES GRASS ROOT LEVELS IN INDIA
Vinod K Agrawal ** G.S.Kumar*
**Commissioner, Survey,Settlement & Land Records, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad India, -
email vinodkagrawal@ap.gov.in
*Former Director, Survey of India; Managing Editor, GIS India , Hyderabad, India -
email: gisindia.in@gmail.com, F 2, 6-3-1216/50, Nest Apartments, Methodist Colony, Begumpet, Hyderabad, India
Interactive Presentation by WG VII/7 - Innovative Problem Solving Methodologies for Less Developed Countries.
KEY WORDS: Photogrammetry, Developing Countries, Digital, Land, Measurement, National, Future
ABSTRACT:
Revenue surveys initiated by East India Company towards the end of 18th Century remained the responsibility of Survey of India
established in 1767 till 1904 and later came under the State government Departments.
Starting 1949, attempts have been made to use aerial photography for cadastral surveys. Digital photogrammetry emerged as the
most efficient technology for mapping large areas for cadastral surveys. Amendment to the existing Act in 1995 by government of
Andhra Pradesh allowed for public-private partnership in cadastral surveys. As a result of this, the first Integrated Land Information
System (ILIS) project using photogrammetry materialized and has reached successful completion stage in 2008.
In this project, about 6000 sq km area is involved. In the field, ownership boundaries have been identified on the ortho images. Using
the laptop computers, the surveyors produced Land Parcel Maps ( LPMs) with an accuracy of 20 cm in position. What is most
interesting in this project is delivering latest LPMs to owners within 24 hrs of ground visit with all the measurements and other
details.
Cost under ILIS has worked out to less than Indian Rupees 700 per hectare ( one US $ = Indian Rupees 39 approx). Governments
in India are planning to take up over 500 districts in India using this technology in the coming years. Digital Photogrammetry thus
has emerged as the most efficient and cost effective model while providing land base vital to various development activities and
generating huge employment in rural areas in particular.
1. INTRODUCTION:
The first objective this paper is to give a brief overview of the
attempts made from time to time to develop an appropriate
methodology for cadastral surveys in Indian conditions. The
second objective is to present the recent successful project
results using aerial photography and photogrammetry for
Nizamabad district in India covering about 8000 sq km.
Various methods have been in operation from time to time and
pilots have been undertaken using modem technologies.This
paper focuses on the aerial photo based methodologies and
discusses the Nizamabad project under Bhoo Bharati scheme of
government of Andhra Pradesh reaching completion stage.
Attempts to use aerial photography were made in 1929, 1945
and 1954 by Survey of India to produce revenue maps. Based
on the recommendations of All India Cadastral Surveys
Conferences, Survey of India undertook a pilot project covering
8000 hectares consisting of 16 villages in Goa during 1969-71
under United Nations Development Programme.
Photogrammetry methodology using 1:6700 scale aerial
photography was employed. The project was technologically
successful. But there were some hurdles in implementing at
national level.
Angul-Nalco cadastral survey Project in Orissa funded by the
government was taken up by Survey of India in 1991-93, using
1:10,000 scale Aerial Photography covering over 300 villages.
In this case also some hurdles prevented in adoption of
photogrammetry for cadasral surveys on a wider scale. Similar
attempts were made to use cost-effective approaches of
photogrammetry in some other States of India.
Land records remained out-of-date by several decades in all the
States of India depriving proper titles to owners and adversely
affecting development projects, with increasing Land litigation
cases.
2. DIGITAL PHOTOGRAMMETRY & PPP
As Digital photogrammetry emerged as the most efficient
technology for mapping large areas, experts and planners
considered this approach. Amendment to the existing Act in
1995 by government of Andhra Pradesh allowed for public-
private partnership (PPP) in cadastral surveys. As a result of
this, the first Integrated Land Information System (ILIS) project
under Bhu Bharari schemeusing photogrammetry materialized
in 2005.
Based on the available results of photogrammetic surveys,
experts favoured the scale of 1:10,000 for rural areas. For
urban areas, 1:4000 scale was adopted in view of accuracy
requirements.
National Remote Sensing Agency flew GPS-based aerial
photography on 1:10,000 scale and created digital ortho images
for the Disticit of Nizamabad.
The total area of Nizamabad district is about 8000 sq. km of
which forests cover 1700 sq. km area, constituting 221% of the
total district’s area. Speck Systems, a Private Company was
involved with field operations and development of required
spatial data bases.