India to Prepare Digital Maps of all Villages

Context

India plans to prepare digital maps of all its 6,00,000 villages and pan-India 3D maps will be prepared for 100 cities.

About

How these maps would be prepared?

The updated geospatial policy guidelines will help private companies to prepare a variety of maps without needing approvals from a host of ministries and make it easier to use drones and develop applications via location mapping.
The “trinity of geospatial Systems, drone Policy and unlocked Space Sector will be the hallmark of India’s future economic progress.
Geographical Information based system mapping would also be useful in forest management, disaster management, electrical utilities, land records, water distribution, and property taxation

About the SWAMITVA Scheme:

SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) is a Central Sector Scheme.
Ministry: The Scheme was launched by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
- It was launched on 24thApril 2020.
Aim: It aims to promote a socio-economically empowered and self-reliant rural India.
Record of rights: The scheme aims to provide the ‘record of rights’ to village household owners in rural abadi areas and issuance of Property cards.
Technology: The Scheme has the potential to transform rural India using modern technical tools of mapping and surveying.
- Drones are being used for the purpose of survey.
Significance: It will give the way for using the property as a financial asset to villagers for availing loans and other financial benefits.
Time Period: The Scheme will cover around 6.62 Lakh villages of the entire country for five years during 2021-2025.

Benefits of the Swamitva scheme:

Clarity over property rights:The Swamitva scheme helps to map rural inhabited lands using drones and latest survey methods. It will ensure streamlined planning, revenue collection and provide clarity over property rights in rural areas.
Easy financing:This will open up avenues for applying for loans from financial institutions by the owners.
Settled disputes:Disputes related to property would also be settled through the title deeds allotted through this scheme.
Appreciation of property value:Freeing the residential properties including land of title disputes and the creation of an official record is likely to result in appreciation in the market value of the properties.
Better utilisation of funds:The accurate property records can be used for facilitating tax collection, new building and structure plan, issuing of permits and for thwarting attempts at property grabbing.