BDA Initiates Topographic & LiDAR Survey Tender for Bhubaneswar New City Master Plan Area

What was decided

Bhubaneswar Development Authority has moved to procure ground-survey data for the proposed New City by inviting bids for a topographic and LiDAR survey. A tender titled "Selection Of An Agency To Conduct Topographic & Lidar Survey For Bhubaneswar New City Master Plan Area" is listed as a live procurement under the Housing, Urban and Rural Development category, with a corrigendum also issued against it. This is not a fresh policy approval — it is a technical procurement step: BDA is hiring a specialist survey agency to generate high-resolution elevation and ground-feature data over the New City footprint, which planners need before finalising layouts, drainage design and infrastructure alignment.

Where the survey applies

The survey area corresponds to the New City master plan footprint. The project will span around 800 acres across the mouzas of Gothapatna, Malipada, and Daspur, and is envisioned as a multi-economic growth zone aligned with the state's long-term development roadmap, "Vikshit Odisha 2036." A separate BDA statement put the figure more precisely: the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) has unveiled an ambitious plan worth ₹8,000 crore for constructing a 'New City' on 821.964 acres on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. The site sits within the wider Bhubaneswar Development Plan Area (BDPA); BDA covers 556 revenue villages covering an area of about 1110 km2 in total, of which the three New City mouzas form a small, specifically demarcated portion.

Why a LiDAR survey now

The survey is a preparatory input to the master plan contract, not a standalone project. An MoU to this end was signed between the Bhubaneswar Development Authority and Singapore's Surbana Jurong Infrastructure (SJI) Private Ltd on January 17, 2025, under which SJI will provide consultancy services for master planning and urban infrastructure development. A follow-on agreement for the actual master-plan preparation work was subsequently signed by BDA and Surbana Jurong representatives; the agreement was signed by BDA Secretary Manas Ranjan Padhi and Surbana Jurong's Deputy Director Manideep Dutta in the presence of senior officials, including Deputy Commissioner and Nodal Officer (New City) Bhabataran Sahu, Associate Town Planner Omkar Mohanty, Assistant Town Planner Manasi Mohanty, and PMU Team Leader Ajay Jha. Accurate topographic and LiDAR data of the mouzas is the ground-truth layer the consultant needs to translate the conceptual master plan into buildable layouts, road and drainage alignments, and plot boundaries.

The broader New City Development scheme

The survey tender sits under a larger, Cabinet-approved investment programme. The Odisha State Cabinet has approved a "New City Development" scheme, an urban expansion project covering approximately 800 acres within the Bhubaneswar Development Plan Area. The project requires a total investment of Rs 8,179 crore over 15 years, with an initial allocation of Rs 1,342 crore proposed for the first five years (2025-30) from the state budget. Officials have described how that first tranche will be used: an initial allocation of Rs 1,342 crore from the state budget has been proposed, covering land acquisition, road construction, basic infrastructure, public amenities, and administrative costs.

The city is planned as a transit-oriented, mixed-income township. The new city will be developed as a transit-oriented township, with focus on efficient public transport, reduced travel distances, and seamless access to a well-integrated mix of land uses, and will ensure "Housing for All" by offering diverse housing options for all income groups based on affordability and necessity. Officials have also cited a target resident population: the township is planned in Malipada, Daspur and Gothapatna, with housing capacity for two lakh residents and provision for solar-powered infrastructure, informed the CM, according to The Times of India.

Land status and connectivity works already flagged

Officials have said most of the site is already under government control, which should simplify acquisition. The reports added that more than 95% of the land identified is already under government control, streamlining acquisition. Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra revealed that the BDA has already initiated the land acquisition process for the project. Connectivity works flagged alongside the New City include a new road link: a four-lane road will be constructed from Naka Gate Square to Kateni for better communication to the New City, along with connecting roads to manage traffic congestion.

Practical effect for residents and investors

For people who own land or property in Gothapatna, Malipada and Daspur, the LiDAR/topographic survey tender means field survey teams and drone or terrestrial scanning equipment are likely to appear on-site once an agency is appointed, ahead of any formal plot-level demarcation. It does not by itself constitute a land acquisition notice, a final master plan, or a RERA-registered project — those are separate, later steps. For investors and prospective plot buyers, this stage confirms that BDA is moving from policy approval and consultancy appointment toward site-level technical work, but no finalised layout, sale of plots, or construction timeline has been announced as of August 2026.

As the nodal implementing agency, BDA's role continues through this stage. BDA is responsible for creating development plans, regulating development and use of land, undertaking works pertaining to construction of housing colonies, commercial complexes and providing public amenities like water supply, drainage, sewerage, and transportation, social facilities etc.