GIS mapping for municipal areas by November-end

For the first time in the history of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), a Geographical Information System (GIS) map is being created.

Funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), the map is expected to be ready by the end of November.
Once the system is in place, one can just log onto the web portal and file a complaint to the department concerned of the KMC.
Not only this, the map will show every minute detail of each of the municipal ward. From sweet shops to pay and use toilets, the map will portray the entire locality.
“We will open an online counter with CESC and PWD — the two most important departments with which we need to coordinate all the time. If a tax payer has any complaints regarding these two departments, they can mediate through us,” said a senior engineer of the civic body. Anindya Karforma, an officer working on the project, said: “We are trying to follow Hyderabad’s approach for setting up the GIS map.”
But mapping a city like Kolkata, which has developed sporadically over the years, will not be an easy task. “Compared to other metros or A-category cities, Kolkata has developed in an unplanned manner. Hence, it is difficult to create a GIS map for the city,” added Karforma.

For the multi-crore project, 24 companies had participated in the tender process. Among them, only two companies have been selected for the work.

Refusing to divulge details, Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said: “The creation of the map is a part of the capacity building programme for which DFID has already issued a grant. The map will be ready in the next six months. Kolkata-based engineering firm, expert in GIS mapping, will complete the work on behalf of the KMC.”

Source : http://www.expressindia.com/