Telangana to Launch Comprehensive Agricultural Land Re-survey After 96 Years
Telangana government is set to begin a historic agricultural land re-survey in July to replace outdated Nizam-era records. Using advanced GPS and GIS technology, the initiative aims to digitize land parcels, establish clear ownership, and resolve long-standing boundary disputes across the state.
Highlights
- •Telangana is launching a massive agricultural land re-survey starting July 2026.
- •This is the first major survey of its kind since the Nizam era of the 1930s.
- •The project will utilize DGPS and GIS technology to create a modern, dispute-free land database.
- •Land registration services will be temporarily unavailable from June 26–28 for essential system upgrades.
The state government of Telangana has officially announced plans to launch a comprehensive re-survey of agricultural land beginning this July. This significant administrative undertaking marks the first time such an extensive mapping process has been initiated since the Nizam era in the 1930s. The primary goal of this initiative is to resolve long-standing land disputes and establish a modern, transparent, and conflict-free land administration system for the state.
The ambitious project will be implemented in phases across the region. In the initial stage, the government will conduct the re-survey in 2,240 villages selected from 32 districts. This selection process aims to cover approximately 70 villages per district, with Hyderabad excluded from this specific phase. Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy highlighted that this exercise is essential to provide clear boundaries, verify ownership for every survey number, and instill greater confidence among the state's farming community.
Modernizing Land Records with Advanced Technology
For decades, land records throughout the state have relied heavily on documentation dating back to 1936. Over time, factors such as rapid urbanization, land fragmentation, and various administrative boundary changes have led to widespread confusion regarding original land limits. To address these issues, the government is moving away from traditional tools like chains, rods, and measuring tapes in favor of modern surveying solutions. The administration is now utilizing Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS), Rovers, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software to ensure precision.
The state has already procured 411 Rover devices, with plans to acquire an additional 400 to bolster the infrastructure needed for this Telangana agricultural land survey. Under the new framework, every land parcel will be assigned a unique Bhudhaar number and card, mirroring the efficiency of the national Aadhaar system. Data captured through DGPS technology will be integrated into QGIS software and subsequently uploaded to the Bhu Bharati portal. Officials noted that while there were roughly 40 lakh survey numbers in 1948, that figure has surged to 2.29 crore, underscoring the necessity of this modernization.
Temporary Disruption to Registration Services
In a related development, the Inspector-General of Stamps and Registration, Rajiv Gandhi Hanumanthu, confirmed that the department’s online services and official website will be offline from June 26 to June 28. This scheduled maintenance is aimed at upgrading systems, strengthening security protocols, and enhancing overall service quality. Since the downtime coincides with the Muharram holiday and a Sunday, actual registration services will only be affected for a single working day on June 27. Full operational capacity is expected to resume on June 29, and citizens are encouraged to schedule their property-related tasks accordingly to avoid inconvenience.
