Drone survey over, Mohali’s new township inches closer to reality

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 23

Moving a step ahead to develop a new township in Mohali, the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) has completed a drone survey to expedite the process of land acquisition and to obtain the exact use of land parcels – residential, commercial, institutional and services.

This is for the first time that drones were used for landscaping of the land to be acquired and to assess the compensation to be paid to the landowners.

A whopping 5,350 acres across 14 villages in the vicinity of the Chandigarh international airport is under acquisition to develop Aerotropolis. It will be the fourth independent township being developed by GMADA after Knowledge City, Aerocity and IT City and eighth in Greater Mohali area after Eco City, Edu City and Medi City in New Chandigarh.

Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Housing and Urban Development, and Financial Commissioner Revenue, Vini Mahajan, told The Tribune on Saturday that a drone survey had been conducted in phases in the villages where land was to be acquired. “A total of 20 sq km area has been covered under the survey. Conducting the survey using drones is a cost-effective process for collecting information relevant for acquisition,” she disclosed.

Drone survey includes collection of information such as built-up properties, vacant plots and land by mapping the land being acquired. “An inventory is thus obtained of various structures, trees etc which propels the urbanisation process,” said Mahajan.

GMADA and PUDA Chief Administrator Ravi Bhagat said earlier, when survey was conducted with the help of satellites and images were obtained, it further required a topographical survey for laying the road network and other services. “The technique of drones is such that it has an inbuilt query system from which digital terrain model can be made which helps engineers for laying down water supply, sewer and other utility lines besides roads. This also helps in reducing the cost, which was earlier incurred by way of total station surveys. In addition, it cuts short the time taken to obtain satellite images and processing layout plans,” he revealed.

Bhagat said Panjab University had also carried out a social impact assessment (SIA), which was a part of the process provided under the Land Acquisition Act. “The SIA for Aerotropolis acquisition has been carried out by the PU, which would be submitting its final report shortly,” he said.

The report will further be examined by an expert group constituted by the state government. Later, a preliminary notification will be issued for the areas/zones recommended by the expert group.

FARMERS TO BENEFIT

Considering the demand of the landowners whose land is to be acquired for Aerotropolis, the Punjab Cabinet has given approval to partial amendment in the Land Pooling Policy, 2013, for creation of land bank in the area under the jurisdiction of GMADA. The amendments in the policy have been approved after detailed deliberations with farmers and other stakeholders. As per the provisions of the modified policy, on acquisition of 1 acre, if the landowner opts for an SCO of 121 sq yards, he/she will also be given a residential plot of 1,000 sq yards. Similarly, the landowner opting for SCO of 200 sq yards will also be given a residential plot measuring 800 sq yards and those opting for SCO of 300 sq yards will also be provided with a residential plot of 500 sq yards.