Raipur — In a bid to sharpen the precision of this year’s kharif crop assessment, the Chhattisgarh government is deploying small‑unmanned aircraft to complement the traditional girdawari exercise slated for October.
Aerial mapping paired with field checks
Drones are sweeping across the state’s key agricultural belts, capturing centimetre‑level imagery that outlines field borders, identifies crop varieties and measures cultivated area. The raw data are transformed into a digital ledger that logs the exact location of each crop.
At the same time, revenue officers are conducting door‑to‑door visits to verify the satellite‑grade records. Any inconsistency between the drone‑generated map and the on‑ground observation triggers a flag for deeper investigation.
Real‑time oversight of the girdawari
Senior officials monitor the survey’s progress in real time, reviewing reports submitted by field teams. When a disparity emerges—such as a crop entry in official registers that does not match the reality on the ground—the responsible officer must provide a detailed explanation.
This two‑layer verification system is intended to prune errors from the state’s crop database and deliver a more reliable picture of agricultural output.
Detecting illegal opium and cannabis farms
The drone sweep is not limited to legitimate kharif crops. Authorities are also scanning for signs of illicit opium and cannabis cultivation. Revenue staff coordinate with police and other agencies; if aerial imagery or a field visit hints at suspicious planting, a focused ground inspection follows before any enforcement action is taken.
Officials argue that aerial reconnaissance can quickly expose hard‑to‑reach pockets, enabling a faster response to potential illegal farms.
Scope of the sowing target
Chhattisgarh has set an aggressive target of sowing kharif crops on 48.69 lakh hectares this season. Satellite‑assisted estimates as of 22 September indicated that 48.44 lakh hectares were already under cultivation.
Rice remains the dominant kharif crop, while maize, kodo, kutki, arhar, moong, groundnut and ramtil also feature prominently across the landscape.
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 underpin a host of government schemes—crop‑insurance payouts, disaster relief, compensation and other farmer‑centric programmes. When the type of crop and the exact cultivated area are correctly recorded, authorities can pinpoint 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.
