SAHIWAL: After completion of High Resolution Satellite Imagery (HRSI) of 36 districts of Punjab, the drone mapping of urban localities has started in Sahiwal under the World Bank-funded project of Punjab Urban Land System Enhancement (PULSE).

Deputy Commissioner Ikramul Haq is now overseeing the pilot project under the PULSE to drone map urban localities. It will be extended to other districts of Punjab once the pilot project here is over within next week or so.

The DC said on the basis of HRSI all districts have now been divided into two zones-- high density control points and low density control points -- which means urban and rural localities of each district.

“Since high resolution images of both urban and rural areas have been taken, now drone images will be taken for direct measurement and intensive land ownership verification.”

The DC said the drones can capture detailed and high-resolution imagery which provides a clear and comprehensive view of urban areas.

The drone imagery has a high-resolution aerial view which is time-efficient and has improved accuracy of land ownership record. After the development of digitised base map, the ownership details of urban land pieces will be integrated with the existing land ownership record of Punjab Land Record Authority (PLRA) database.

At the rural side, missing mouzas/village information has been streamlined through scanning which will upgrade the centuries old land record through on-ground and field verification.

“The whole drone imagery exercise is aimed at improving land and property register of hereditary land both in urban and rural localities,” the DC further added.

It will also help in future decision-making processes to improve land and property registry, he said.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2024