Chhattisgarh government has signed a memorandum of understanding with IIT-Roorkee to map over 5,000 square kilometers of the Abujhmad region, historically a Naxal stronghold. Dense forests and Naxal presence had left this area absent from official maps.
Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai said the mapping project is expected to complete by 2030. “This region has never been surveyed before. Now, with a decrease in Naxal activities, the survey will start, and administrative facilities will finally reach these areas,” Sai said. He added that the government aims to finish the project earlier if possible.
Sai emphasized the importance of development in Naxal-cleared areas. “Eradicating Naxalism is not enough; we must also develop these regions. Abujhmad spans 5,000 sq km, with no roads and villages never officially surveyed,” he said.
Security camps covering a 5 km radius are being established, prompting Naxals to vacate certain zones. After expansion to 10 km radius by directives from Home Minister Amit Shah, authorities have successfully established 400 villages.
Sai also criticized the previous Congress-led state government for insufficient support to the Centre’s anti-Naxal efforts. He claimed that nearly 75 percent of Naxals were concentrated in Chhattisgarh due to this lack of coordination. The mapping initiative is part of the government’s broader plan to ensure governance and development reach all remote regions.
