Comprehensive Overview of Land Surveying Trends and Tenders in India
Land surveying is the process of measuring and mapping the physical features of a land area, which includes determining the boundaries, distances, elevations, and other relevant characteristics of the terrain. There are various types of land surveying, each serving different purposes, such as: American Land Title Association (ALTA) survey, boundary survey, topographic survey, construction survey, subdivision survey and mining survey. These types of land surveying serve diverse purposes, catering to the needs of industries such as real estate, construction, and environmental management.
Analyzing real-time data from active land surveying tender advertisements provides a comprehensive understanding of the government’s initiatives across various sectors. This report provides an analysis of the land survey procurement undertaken by government agencies in India. A total of 184 departments and public sector undertakings (PSUs) in India collectively issued 6089 land surveying tenders in the previous year (2023). There is a notable demand for land survey tenders in diverse sectors, including Industry, Hotel and Tourism, Health, Rural Development, Education and Sports, Infra and Planning, and Environment And Forest. The study highlights that West Bengal (484 tenders), Maharashtra (439 tenders), and Karnataka (370 tenders) play a crucial role in acquiring land surveying services.
Among the 184 government agencies, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) under the infra and planning sector published the highest number of land surveying tenders (285), followed by the Indian Army (282) and Military Engineering Service (225) under the Ministry of Defence. This study reveals that government agencies procure land surveying tenders in various forms, such as land survey, topographical survey, GIS survey, and digital survey.
CPWD has advertised for land surveying tenders in different States across India, conducting surveys for construction of roads and government-owned buildings (hospitals, schools, offices, residential quarters, banks). In many tenders, soil investigation and land surveys are conducted together. Thus, a bidder having both the expertise will be better qualified to bid and win such tenders. For example, the Central Public Works Department in Uttar Pradesh published a tender for the construction of residential quarters at AIIMS, Rae Bareli, involving a Digital Topographical Survey. In Assam, a similar department issued a tender for Soil Investigation near Boys Hostel A and B at NIT Chumukedima, Dimapur, Nagaland.
A large number of land survey tenders were advertised by agencies in the irrigation sector for constructing dams, canals, reservoirs, boat jetties, bridges, and check dams. For instance, the Irrigation Department in Kerala invites a tender for Soil Investigation for the construction of Boat Jetty near Feroke New Bridge at Chandakadav in Feroke MG. The UP irrigation department advertised a tender for detailed topographical survey using a drone system of gross command area of 971 hectares.
Land surveys were conducted to mark the boundaries of forests, a total of 155 such tenders were published. For example, the Forest Department in Karnataka issued a tender for Survey and demarcation work at the forest boundary of Gangadharanagudda SF in Ramanagara division during the year 2022-23.
Many tenders were advertised for digital surveying of the land, a method and discipline that employs digital or electronic methods to ascertain the three-dimensional coordinates of points, along with the distances and angles separating them. For instance, the Central Public Works Department in Himachal Pradesh invited a tender for soil testing and digital survey for the construction of entrance approach road for DMR office building at DMR Chambaghat Solan (H.P.). Similarly, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) employed a digital survey for construction of residential quarters in Mumbai.
A total of 418 topographical survey tenders were published by various government agencies and PSUs. Topographical surveys find applications in various fields and industries for mapping and understanding the physical features of a particular area. For instance, the Indian army in West Bengal invited a tender for Structure Carrying out a topography survey for Provn OTM Accn for Inf Bn PH II Kalingpng. The Kerala water authority conducted topographical survey using DGPS / ETS.
Many government agencies actively used GIS technology in land surveys as it provides a versatile platform for managing, analyzing, and visualizing spatial data. A total of 137 GIS survey tenders were issued to gather information about specific geographical areas, analyze spatial data, and create maps. As an example, a tender was released by the Northeastern Supply Company in Odisha for a GIS Survey covering Baripada, Bhadrak & Keonjhar Circles. Likewise, the Centre for Development of Telematics in Jharkhand issued a tender for survey services related to GIS. This includes square meter measurements, assessments of greenfield areas, utilization of a 1:500 scale, implementation of ground-penetrating radar with GPS/GNSS, and provision of CAD format (DXF/DWG).
Drones were actively employed in about 25% of the advertised land survey tenders across diverse industries, encompassing construction, agriculture, environmental monitoring, and land management. This is due to their efficiency, cost-effectiveness, accessibility, and the ability to capture high-resolution imagery and data. For example, the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) in Uttar Pradesh solicited a tender for the mapping of pipeline assets in Geographic Information System (GIS). In West Bengal, the Eastern Railway published a tender for the conducting final location survey, traffic survey, and submission of a comprehensive detailed report for all. The Southern Railway in Kerala issued a tender for UAV drone survey of encroachment-prone areas in the TVC division. Additionally, Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Limited (KBJNL) in Karnataka released a tender for drone survey for land acquisition in the backwaters of Almatti reservoir.
Besides the above, various different techniques were followed for land surveying such as resistivity survey, GIS mapping of pipelines, ground gravity magnetic surveys and geophysical surveys. The Ministry of mines sought to undertake geophysical mapping using ground gravity magnetic survey in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Furthermore, Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) invited a tender for mapping of pipeline assets in Geographic Information System. Additionally, the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) in Madhya Pradesh issued a tender for resistivity survey of drinking water supply schemes under Jal Jeevan Mission in different villages of Shajapur division.
As of January 7th, 2024, there are 155 active tenders for land surveying across India. Among these, West Bengal is at the forefront with 55 tenders, constituting 35%, followed by Maharashtra with 23 tenders (15%). Delhi and Jammu Kashmir hold 18 (12%) and 17 (11%) tenders, respectively. Additionally, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh each have 14 (9%) tenders.
This research indicates a notable need for land survey services within Indian government agencies. A substantial proportion of the solicitations were announced in West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. Land survey operations encompass diverse methodologies, including soil investigation, topographical surveys, drone surveys, digital surveys, and GIS. Vigilantly tracking land survey tenders and actively engaging in these opportunities can be advantageous for professionals in the surveying field, providing them with significant business prospects.
