Raipur — In an effort to sharpen the precision of this year’s Kharif crop assessment, the Chhattisgarh state administration is turning to unmanned aerial vehicles. The traditional girdawari exercise, due for completion in October, will now be complemented by drone‑generated maps that are cross‑checked by revenue officials on the ground.
Drone‑derived maps paired with field verification
Compact UAVs are being dispatched over major farming belts to capture centimetre‑level images of field outlines, crop‑type mosaics and the extent of cultivated land. These visuals are processed into a digital register that pinpoints the exact location of each crop.
Concurrently, revenue teams are making farm visits to validate the aerial information. Any divergence between the drone record and the on‑site observation is flagged for further investigation.
Ongoing oversight of the girdawari operation
Senior officials are monitoring the survey’s progress in real time, reviewing reports submitted by field crews. When a mismatch emerges—such as a crop listed in official records that does not correspond with reality—responsible officers must account for the discrepancy.
This two‑pronged methodology is intended to prune errors from the state’s crop database and deliver a more trustworthy snapshot of agricultural output.
Identifying unlawful opium and cannabis cultivation
The aerial sweep extends beyond legal Kharif crops. Law‑enforcement agencies are also scanning the same imagery for signs of illicit opium and cannabis farms. Revenue officers coordinate with police and other bodies; if the drone feed or a subsequent field visit suggests suspicious planting, a targeted ground inspection follows before any enforcement step is taken.
Officials contend that aerial surveillance can quickly uncover hard‑to‑reach pockets, enabling a swifter response to potential illegal cultivation.
Scale of the sowing target
Chhattisgarh has set an ambitious target of sowing Kharif crops on 48.69 lakh hectares this season. Satellite‑assisted estimates as of 22 September indicated that cultivation had already reached 48.44 lakh hectares.
Rice continues to dominate the Kharif landscape, while maize, kodo, kutki, arhar, moong, groundnut and ramtil also feature prominently across the state.
The final round of girdawari in October is expected to lock in the precise area under each crop.
Why accurate records matter to farmers
Reliable crop data underpins numerous government schemes—including crop‑insurance payouts, disaster relief, compensation and other farmer‑focused programmes. When the type of crop and the exact cultivated area are accurately recorded, authorities can identify eligible beneficiaries and channel assistance more efficiently.
By marrying drone technology with traditional field checks, the administration aims to build a robust, transparent crop database that ensures public support reaches the right hands.
