3D cadastral complexities in dense urban areas of developing countries: case studies from Delhi and satellite towns

Abstract

Cadastral systems based on 2D spatial representation have served land administration and property management well for centuries. In India, the basic unit of the cadastral record is the land parcel, which is known as plot. Maintenance of land records with ownership; assessment of tax on the property and tax collection is the responsibility of district authorities. Historically, Delhi has been preferred as a capital by different rulers from various dynasties and invaders coming from different partTS03B_ezeomedo_igbokwe_6421s of the world even before 15th century. As in many densely populated areas even the early developments included 3D solutions, both below and above the surface. In the early days these were rather exceptions, but the 3D use of space has only been increased afterwards due to the continuously growing needs for space and the increased (civil) engineering and construction capabilities. In the early decades after gaining independence in 1947, Delhi rapidly began taking shape of a metro city due to large number of refugees coming from Pakistan who changed the landscape of entire Delhi. By the starting of 21st Century, Delhi had started growing rapidly in terms of population and infrastructure development. This rapid expansion in Delhi and immediate neighbouring cities of Noida and Gurgaon found the land administration agencies of these cities unprepared to deal with this rapidly changing land market. Delhi is managed by various land management agencies. Some have a major role to play in planning and development of the land like Delhi Development Authority while others focus more execution and maintenance like municipal corporations. Delhi does have a long-standing system of Deed registration but have no central registry. In general, records of land held by governmental agencies are maintained by each individual agency. The current paper aims to study the multi-stakeholding urban area locations in Delhi and around where (infrastructural) changes are creating the complex land management situations for the authorities involved. Three cases, mainly related to buildings and apartments, are presented in brief to highlight the different aspects of 3D spatial complexities involved while the forth case study is mode elaborated and focusing on multi-infrastructure (utility) networks in one single area. General Spatial Dimensions for each case are discussed focusing on geometric aspects in vertical and horizontal space below or above surface. As a specific focus, the spatial dimensions are discussed within the context of Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) Spatial Unit Package context.