MCD readies SWAGAM mapping

Delhi’s Municipal Corporation says its SWAGAM portal is nearly ready to open applications for regularising properties in 1,511 unauthorised colonies. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) Officials said more than half of the drone surveys in those colonies are complete, creating the base maps for buildings, roads and geo-fenced property boundaries that will feed into the portal. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) The Centre said on April 7 that applications would begin on April 24 through the SWAGAM portal for properties whose owners already have conveyance deeds or authorisation slips. It also set a timeline of GIS surveys in seven days, correction of deficiencies in 15 days and ownership documents in 45 days. (ddnews.gov.in) This rollout follows a policy change that dropped one of the biggest bottlenecks: approved layout plans. Under the revised framework, eligible properties in 1,511 colonies can be regularised on an “as is where is” basis instead of waiting for colony-wide layout approval. (ddnews.gov.in) Delhi has 1,731 identified unauthorised colonies under the 2019 Pradhan Mantri Unauthorised Colonies in Delhi Awas Adhikar Yojana, or PM-UDAY, but the current relaxation covers 1,511 of them. Colonies in the Yamuna floodplain, forest and ridge areas, and 69 affluent colonies including Sainik Farms are outside this round. (dda.gov.in) (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) The scale is large: the Centre says about 45 lakh residents could benefit, while Delhi officials have described the affected housing stock as more than 10 lakh households. The DDA says roughly 40 lakh people live in unauthorised colonies that grew without approved plans or full civic infrastructure. (ddnews.gov.in) (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) (dda.gov.in) The portal is also being rewritten in simpler language before launch. An MCD official said the civic body changed the wording after a demo so applicants could understand the process and the effect of their applications without technical terms. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) Regularisation will still come with checks and fees. MCD officials said construction beyond the permitted floor area ratio under Delhi’s master plan will face penal charges at three times the normal additional FAR rate, and scrutiny fees include ₹10 per square metre. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) The city plans to process cases through about 700 empanelled architects, who will upload plans showing the structure as it exists on the ground. Small convenience shops up to 20 square metres are also eligible under the revised norms if they meet road-access rules. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) The push comes after PM-UDAY moved slowly for years. The housing ministry said only about 40,000 conveyance deeds or authorisation slips had been issued by March 31, 2026, far below the size of the eligible population the scheme was meant to cover. (ddnews.gov.in) If the April 24 launch holds, SWAGAM will become the main test of whether Delhi can turn aerial maps and simplified rules into actual property papers. The success of this phase will depend less on announcing eligibility than on how quickly residents can move from survey data to certificates. (ddnews.gov.in) (economictimes.indiatimes.com)