For once, CMCs score over BCC

For once, CMCs score over BCC
The Times of India

Bangalore: Bangalore’s poor cousins — the seven CMCs and one TMC — may lag behind in infrastructure, but are marching full steam ahead on technology. They have put to use the Geographical Information System to map their wards, while a laggard BCC is yet to apply technology to its burgeoning wards.

Like in Byatarayanapura CMC, ward 4 Narasipura. The 10-odd potholes near HMT Layout, asphalted and unasphalted roads, health clinic, street signages, phone booths and even the neighbourhood tailor. You can track all these on the GIS map.

Byatarayanapura is just one prototype of the advanced spatial maps prepared along with those of 56 cities in the state, including the eight Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) around Bangalore.

The CMCs are now putting data into their spatial maps. Behind the project is the government, Survey of India and eGovernments Foundation.
In contrast, the BCC’s report card is poor. Over the last five years, BCC has been going to town with plans to initiate GIS mapping, but has mapped only 10 of the 100 wards. S Ramani, technical adviser to BCC, said that nearly 226 sqkm area coming under BCC jurisdiction have to be mapped, and should be done by Marc h 2006.

The GIS project, which lays emphasis on 15 components related to municipal services, was envisaged during the maiden summit of BATF in January 2000, and Richmond Town was mapped as a pilot. But only last November, BCC invited tenders to outsource GIS support services.

Even the BWSSB and BDA have completed GIS mapping of their utilities — BWSSB has mapped over 225 sqkm identifying its water and sewage lines, manholes, treatment plants, public taps; BDA has mapped over 1,300 km coming under its purview.

According to Srikanth Nadhamuni of the Foundation: “ULBs like Byatarayanapura, Kengeri, Mahadevapura have been doing exceedingly well. We get the status report on a daily basis and till now, Kengeri has been in the top slot.’’

ON TECHNOLOGY FRONT

• 3,000 sqkm of urban area being mapped at 1:2500 resolution, using the services of US satellite IKONOS to get spatial maps .
• Images obtained with 1-metre resolution, from which macro features like road network, parks, lakes and other natural bodies are extracted.
• Base maps printed at ward level and distributed.
• Ward maps sent to Survey of India in Bangalore that validates maps for accuracy and consistency. SI creates GIS maps with property details.