Understanding Toposheets in Uttar Pradesh: How to Find the Right Map Sheet

There is no single "toposheet number" for Uttar Pradesh. Toposheets (topographic map sheets) are individual map tiles produced by the Survey of India at various scales (commonly 1:50,000 or 1:250,000). Uttar Pradesh, being a large state (~240,000 km²), is covered by hundreds of individual toposheets.

How Toposheets Are Organized

• 1:250,000 Scale (Degree Sheets): Each covers 1° latitude × 1° longitude (approx. 110 km × 110 km). Designated by a number (e.g., 53N, 53O, 54M, 54N, 62D, 62H, 63A, 63B, 63C, 63D, 63E, 63F, 63G, 63H, 63I, 63J, 63K, 63L, 63M, 63N, 63O, 63P, 64A, 64B, 64C, 64D, 64E, 64F, 64G, 64H, 64I, 64J, 64K, 64L, 64M, 64N, 64O, 64P).
• 1:50,000 Scale (Quarter Sheets): Each degree sheet is divided into 16 quarter-sheets (A–P). For example, 53N/1, 53N/2 … 53N/16.

How to Identify the Sheet You Need

1. Locate your area of interest on a reference map (Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, or a state index map).
2. Note the latitude/longitude of the location.
3. Consult the Survey of India’s index map (available on surveyofindia.gov.in or via the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) portal).
4. Match the coordinates to the correct degree sheet and quarter-sheet code.

Where to Obtain Toposheets

• Survey of India offices (Dehradun, regional centers).
• Online: NSDI Geoportal, Bhuvan (ISRO) (some layers free).
• Commercial vendors for printed copies.

Tip: For GIS work, download the SRTM DEM or OpenStreetMap data clipped to your bounding box—often easier than hunting for specific toposheet numbers.