NRSC to capture satellite images of 170 sq. km area considering expansion of Smart City

Aurangabad, June 12:

The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) will soon be contacting Hyderabad's National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) to procure high-resolution satellite images of the city for implementation of its ambitious Geographical Information System (GIS) project. The project will take images of all the existing properties and water connections (legal and illegal) in and around the city covering 170 square kilometers area (including around 140 sq. km area of the urban sector). Besides, the drone survey will also be undertaken for detailing and recording features of each property during the project.

The GIS project includes Hardware and Software Delivery, Preparation of City Base Map, Data Collection through Survey, and GIS Platform Deployment and Integration. Project Management Supply and Installation of the Hardware and

Software Setting up of the GIS Cell DGPS Survey and Drone Survey Satellite Image Procurement and Base Map Creation and Property Survey. The AMC had shortlisted the agency to perform the task. The identification & mapping of all properties (of different types like residential, commercial, semi-commercial, industrial, etc) & water connections within 6 months and 100 percent of all other layers is expected to be completed by May 2022.

" An area of 170 sq. km including AMC jurisdiction will be surveyed under the project. The digitising of GIS data of properties in the city will be done through three levels - drone survey, door-to-door survey, and using high-resolution satellite image from NRSC, Hyderabad - along with the data provided by the AMC and the land records office, said the operations manager of (Amnex Infotechnologies), Dilip Panchal while briefing to the key officers of AMC and ASCDCL.

We will be forming multiple teams for the door-to-door property survey and will create awareness and appeal to the citizens through media for their cooperation during the survey, said Panchal.

" As per Census 2011, the population of Aurangabad is 11.76 lakh. The AMC jurisdiction comprises 115 wards. The properties on AMC record are around 2.25 lakh and the same number of properties are yet to come on record. Besides, the strength of water connections is also around 1.15 lakh. The same number is yet to come on the record, especially the commercial connections. Hence the GIS project will take detailed pictures of each property and unearth each water connection hidden beneath the earth through satellite images and drone surveys in 170 sq. km. It will help AMC to plan its development in the future by going through the availability of land.

The AMC is very hopeful that lakhs of properties will come on record after the completion of the GIS project. Besides, there will be a hike in the collection of property and water taxes. The money in the exchequer will encourage the civic body to undertake development works on a large scale in the future," explained a town planning expert on the condition of anonymity.

E-Governance Project

The E-Governance project involves the deployment of an integrated municipal application for more than 30 departments/services complemented by a modern portal, a citizen app, and payment gateways, said K Jagannath (of Mars Telecom) to the team of officers. It will also involve the modernisation of the LAN within AMC offices including setting up of Citizen Facilitation Centers at various zonal offices. The project will help AMC to transform into a citizens-friendly organisation. The up-gradation of facilities and services is need of the hour during the post globalisation period, stressed the sources.