India and Nepal Set Three-Year Target for UAV-Based Border Land Mapping

Key facts

• India and Nepal have agreed to complete mapping of cross-border land occupation within three years using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
• The joint survey is expected to begin after the monsoon, likely in September or October 2026.
• The decision was taken at the 13th meeting of the Survey Officials' Committee (SOC) concluded in Lucknow.
• The mapping will use UAVs to capture aerial images, with data jointly examined by technical teams from both countries.
• The cross-border land issue is partly linked to changes in river courses; the boundary was originally established using the Fixed Boundary Principle.
• Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah raised the issue of cross-border land occupation in Parliament in May 2026.
• The Survey Officials' Committee operates under the Boundary Working Group (BWG), headed by the survey chiefs of India and Nepal.
• India and Nepal share a border of approximately 1,880 km with 8,554 boundary pillars, of which 1,325 are missing and 1,956 are damaged.
• Previous deadlines for technical boundary work in 2015 and 2017 were missed; the new three-year target is another attempt to complete the work.