The Greater Noida authority is taking steps to safeguard its land from encroachment in the 124 villages under its jurisdiction. To achieve this, the authority is planning to conduct a geographic information system (GIS) survey. This survey will play a pivotal role in identifying land that has been unlawfully occupied, thereby allowing the authority to regain control of the land for various purposes. This includes the provision of residential plots to farmers whose land had been acquired for the city’s planned development.

The decision to conduct the GIS survey came as a response to the realization that a significant portion of the authority’s land had been encroached upon by different individuals. The survey will also help determine the extent of land used for residential purposes by farmers beyond the original village settlement boundaries.

The Greater Noida authority will engage the services of an expert agency to conduct the GIS survey. Initially, the survey will encompass 85 villages, with plans to extend it to the remaining villages at a later stage. The authority is expected to issue a tender for the selection of the expert agency, with the survey scheduled to commence next month. The survey will employ the use of drones to gather accurate data.

Currently, the authority routinely conducts operations to reclaim its land from encroachers and dismantle illegal constructions. However, the GIS survey will likely lead to a more extensive campaign against land grabbers to demolish illegal structures and secure land earmarked for planned development.

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One of the key benefits of the survey is that it will provide precise information on how much land has been encroached upon in each village. The authority can then compile data village-wise, which may be used to allocate residential plots to farmers who had their land acquired for development. This move could resolve a longstanding issue where farmers have been awaiting residential plots, as per the rule allotting 6% of the total acquired land to the landowner for residential purposes.

The city of Greater Noida, established in 1992, encompasses 124 villages over 38,000 hectares. While there is no current data on the extent of government land encroachment over the years, the GIS survey is expected to reveal a substantial figure. This proactive approach by the authority aims to address the concerns of farmers who have yet to receive their allocated residential plots, ultimately fostering better relations with the community.

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