Guide — Land records
Cadastral Survey: Meaning, Process and Land Records in India
What a cadastral survey is, who does it in India, how the village map links to ownership records, and where a private surveyor fits.
Quick AnswerA cadastral survey maps the boundary of each land parcel and links it to the record of who holds it. In India this is the village map with numbered fields plus the revenue registers, kept by state revenue staff. In Haryana and Punjab fields are identified by mustatil and killa numbers; there is more on Khasra and Killa Numbers in our glossary.
What does cadastral survey mean?
A cadastral survey measures and maps the boundaries of individual land parcels and ties each parcel to its record of ownership, area and land revenue. Anyone asking what is cadastral survey work in India can start from the word cadastre, an official register of land parcels. Here, the village map with its numbered fields and the revenue registers kept with it form the cadastre.
The cadastral survey meaning differs from a topographic one. A topographic survey shows roads, trees and levels. A cadastral survey shows who holds which ground and where the legal lines run, so only the state revenue machinery can make or change it.
Who carries out cadastral surveys in India?
State revenue and land records departments do, because land and land revenue are state subjects under the Constitution's State List. Village field staff keep the maps and registers current: the patwari in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan, the lekhpal in Uttar Pradesh and the talathi in Maharashtra.
Fresh surveys happen during settlement operations or consolidation of holdings (chakbandi), when a whole village is re-measured. Sales, inheritance and partition reach the register through mutation entries instead.
Survey of India makes topographic maps and the geodetic framework, not village cadastres, but it partners the national land programmes below. Disputes on the ground go to demarcation by revenue staff. How that works in the capital region is in our article on demarcation survey Delhi and NCR.
How do khasra, killa, shajra and jamabandi fit together?
The village map (shajra) shows numbered fields, the khasra or killa number identifies one field on it, and the jamabandi or khatauni lists who holds it, with share and area. Names vary by state, but each system has a map, a field number and a register.
Consolidated villages in Haryana and Punjab were laid out in square mustatils, each divided into 25 killas of roughly one acre. A field is identified by its mustatil and killa number, and the patwari revises the jamabandi periodically; our Mezux guide: Jamabandi (Haryana Land Record) explains how to read one. In Uttar Pradesh the khasra (field register) and khatauni (record of rights) play the same roles.
How is a cadastral survey done on the ground?
Surveyors fix a framework of reference points, measure each field boundary from it, plot and number the fields, and publish the draft record for objections. The tools have changed over a century; the sequence has not.
- Framework: once chains and plane tables, now total stations and a GPS receiver on each rover, corrected from a reference station.
- Boundary measurement: each corner is measured with the holders present, so disputes surface on site.
- Plotting and record: fields get survey, khasra or killa numbers, with holders, shares, areas and land class entered against each.
- Objections and attestation: drafts are published, objections heard and the final record attested.
Why do the village map and the ground often disagree?
Many village maps were drawn decades ago by chain and plane table, copied by hand on paper or cloth that shrinks, and later scanned. The ground, meanwhile, has been built on and divided many times. The record stays valid in law, but a tape on the map rarely matches a tape on the field.
- Scale and copying: a small error on an old sheet becomes metres on the ground, and each hand-traced copy adds distortion.
- Lost reference marks: stones that fixed the grid have vanished under roads and houses.
- Walls built by eye along a convenient line, not the recorded one, so property boundaries drift.
- Scans without georeferencing, which cannot be laid straight onto satellite imagery.
How is land record work changing in India?
Through four linked efforts: digitising records and maps, giving every parcel a unique number, drone mapping of village homesteads, and fresh surveys of towns.
- Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP): run by the Department of Land Resources with the states1. Recent reporting puts digitisation at 99.9% of records of rights and 97% of cadastral maps, with a third phase approved for 2026–20312.
- Bhu-Aadhaar (ULPIN): a 14-digit number from the geo-coordinates of a parcel's corners, already given to over 40 crore parcels in 29 states and union territories2.
- SVAMITVA: launched on 24 April 2020 under the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, with Survey of India as technology partner. It maps inhabited village areas (abadi) by drone so households get a record of rights for their homes3.
- NAKSHA: an urban land survey under DILRMP using drone and aerial imagery, LiDAR and ground truthing with GNSS rovers, a base station network (CORS) and total stations4.
Indian land registers at a glance
| Record | What it shows | Who keeps it | Where you will hear the name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shajra / village map | Field boundaries and numbers | Patwari / revenue office | Haryana, Punjab, Himachal, UP |
| Khasra / killa number | Identity of one field | Patwari / lekhpal | Khasra across north India; killa in consolidated villages |
| Jamabandi | Record of rights: holders, shares, area | Patwari, tehsil | Haryana, Punjab |
| Khatauni | Record of rights by holding | Lekhpal, tehsil | Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand |
| Mutation (intkal) | Change of holder after sale, inheritance or partition | Revenue officer | Across states, local names differ |
| Bhu-Aadhaar (ULPIN) | 14-digit parcel identity from coordinates | State land records system | Nationwide |
Revenue records name the parcel; they do not stake it out. To have the boundary measured and drawn for a sale, loan or construction, learn about land survey services.
What can a private surveyor do, and what can they not do?
A private surveyor can measure your land precisely, compare it with the village map and papers, and give you a drawing. Only revenue officials can change the record or issue an official demarcation, so a private boundary survey shows where the problem lies before you apply.
Mezux Touch is an independent contractor and does not act for any revenue office. Our output is measurement: corner coordinates, area in local and metric units, and an overlay on the revenue map you supply. The drawing can go to the patwari, a buyer or a bank. Bring a recent jamabandi or khatauni, the shajra extract, your sale deed or allotment letter, and any earlier demarcation report.
Our land survey and demarcation rates start from ₹8,000 per plot up to 1 acre, with ₹2,000 for each extra acre, GST extra. Demarcation from khasra or killa records is priced after we see the papers, because the work depends on how many reference points survive. Details of land demarcation rates and scope are on the service page. Delhi NCR plots get a crew the same day or within 1 working day. Elsewhere, the surveyor resident in your city takes the plot up at once or within a working day, pricing mobilisation or travel only if it applies. Share your papers and get expert advice on your site for your project.
Sources
- Department of Land Resources, Government of India, note on the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme. dolr.gov.in
- OdishaBytes, “India assigns 14-digit Bhu-Aadhaar to every land parcel under new digital framework”, 29 September 2026. odishabytes.com
- Survey of India, SVAMITVA scheme page. surveyofindia.gov.in
- LBSNAA e-Bhu-Adhyan, NAKSHA programme note. rcentre.lbsnaa.gov.in
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between cadastral and topographic survey?
A topographic survey records physical features and levels. A cadastral survey records legal parcel boundaries and links them to ownership and revenue records.
Is a cadastral survey the same as demarcation?
No, the cadastral survey creates the map and record, while demarcation locates a recorded boundary on the ground on an owner's application.
Can I get my plot's area in kanal, marla or bigha?
Yes, a survey drawing can state area in metric and local units. For quick conversions between units, read: Land Area Converter.
Who keeps the village map in Haryana?
The patwari keeps the village map (shajra) and the jamabandi, under the tehsil revenue office.
What is Bhu-Aadhaar?
A 14-digit unique land parcel identification number (ULPIN) generated from the parcel's corner coordinates.
Can a private survey change the revenue record?
No, it can measure and document the land, but changes to the record go through the revenue department.
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Land record guides
Written by Saniya Parveen · Technically reviewed by Rahul Rai · Updated 8 November 2026