The Survey of India and the land records department have decided to implement continuous operating reference stations (CORS) using which land measurement can be accomplished in minutes along with producing an accurate map of the land.
“There are 77 CORS in Maharashtra. Of those, 12 will come up at government offices across Nashik division. They will not only help with the land measurement activity, but also with land acquisition, alignment of roads and other related activities in a swift, transparent and accurate manner,” said Milind Chavan, deputy director, land records.
The officer pointed out that the conventional measurement of land, which is carried out by a team of land surveyors, would take a minimum of two hours, even for a small piece of land.
“First, the person has to obtain the coordinates to start the measurement and then, with the help of assistants, draw a map of the land. In case there are trees and bushes or visual barriers, the measurement takes more time. Making the final map takes another month’s time before it is given to the applicant. Here, the entire work can take less than a day,” the officer said.
The CORS is equipped with a dish antenna that is linked with a satellite to get accurate coordinates. A land surveyor has a rover — an equipment designed to receive and transmit signals fixed on a stick — in his hand. “When the surveyor goes on the site, he takes coordinates from the CORS only has to walk around the dimensions of the property and return to the starting point. The surveyor will take up as much time as required to walk around the land. If it is a small piece of land, then it will take about 10 minutes,” Chavan said.
Once the map is ready and other technicalities are completed, it can be given to the applicant — at the earliest — within three days. The officer said that of the 12 CORS, four will come up in Nashik district. The CORS will provide signals to surveyors within a radius of 35 to 50km. They need not be manned but will need security infrastructure around and hence will ideally have to operate out of government offices — like a tehsildar or district collectorate office.
“The system has tremendous potential. Carrying out activities such as identifying alignment of the road, rail, canals, planning development work and land acquisition will benefit from such a system. Besides, the Survey of India will also be able to carry out its own programmes,” Chavan added.
