Ghaziabad authority starts drone survey for Harnandipuram township

GDA starts a 45-day drone survey for Harnanipuram township, aiming for an August launch. The project covers 521 hectares with a budget of ₹2,384 crore.

Ghaziabad: The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) on Saturday initiated a 45-day topographic drone survey for its upcoming 521-hectare Harnanipuram township, located behind Raj Nagar Extension near the Delhi-Meerut Road, officials said.

GDA plans to launch the first phase of the scheme in August (Sakib Ali/HT)

“We are heading toward launching the first phase of the scheme in August. We have initiated a drone survey that will continue for 45 days. The survey will provide information about the area’s topography. The results will help us decide on laying out drainage, road, water, and housing areas along with other infrastructure facilities,” Nand Kishor Kalal, vice-chairperson of GDA, told HT.

Last year, the GDA proposed 521 hectares for Harnandipuram township across the land of eight villages: Mathurapur, Shamsher, Champat Nagar, Bhaneda Khurd, Nagla Firoz Mohanpur, Bhovapur, Shahpur Nij Morta, and Morta.

In February 2025, the authority began procuring land from farmers and landowners through direct purchase. In May 2025, the authority proposed a first-phase launch using about 120-130 hectares of land.

Officials said the land for the first phase will primarily come from three villages: Mathurapur, Shamsher, and Nagla Firoz Mohanpur.

“At present, we have taken up registries for about 80 hectares of land and received consent from landowners for about 40 hectares. Registries for the remaining 40 hectares will be taken up soon. We also expect the GDA board to pass the scheme’s layout in May,” Kalal added.

Officials said the project has a budget of about ₹2,384 crore, and the authority has spent about ₹440 crore so far. Most of this spending is on account of direct land purchase from farmers.

The vice-chairperson added that GDA has also planned a six-kilometre four-lane outer ring road that will connect the Hindon elevated road to the township, providing commuters with seamless connectivity.