BBMP alters GIS mapping plan

BBMP alters GIS mapping plan
By Satish Shile,DH News Service,Bangalore:
Inclusion of new areas to form the BBMP has hit the ongoing GIS mapping of erstwhile BMP areas.

The Palike invited tenders for GIS mapping of 71 wards in November 2006. However, even a year after tenders were invited, the Palike has not completed the task of selecting the consortium for taking up work.
The Palike thought of GIS (Geographical Information Systems) in 2004 to help planning and monitoring of its projects. As many as 15 features, including road, properties, storm-water drains, cross drainage works, street lights, bus shelters, and sidewalks were covered. The first phase of works is about to be completed.
Similarly, the Palike called for tenders to take up support services in the remaining 71 wards of the erstwhile BMP in November 2006. As many as 10 consortiums responded to the call. A high-level technical committee headed by the director of Hyderabad-based National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) gave its opinion on the tender proposals. But the Palike had not finalised tenders to extend work orders. According to a senior Palike officer, the delay was due to an increase in the total area of the Palike. As BMP was converted to BBMP, the Palike’s total area increased to more than 800 sqkm.
A section of senior officers felt instead of taking up all 15 features in the second phase, concentrating on property details would be enough. Otherwise, implementing municipal GIS would take a long time. But this plan was contested by many other officers.
A senior officer said the Palike is spending nearly Rs 1.30 lakh per sq km for GIS mapping in the second phase, whereas it was only Rs 54,000 per sq km in the first phase.
Within three years, the expenditure increased. If the Palike takes up GIS mapping in new areas at the earliest, it would be better. Otherwise, it would entail more expenditure in future, the officer said.
Tech woes
Special Commissioner B S Ramprasad said that finalising of tenders has been delayed due to software-related issues in the first phase.
“We are holding a meeting with experts from NRSA regarding software issues in a couple of days. Once the issues are settled we can go ahead with the second phase of works.”