MMRDA to go for digital mapping

Gone are the days when sarkari babus used to do land mapping with old equipment, which would take ages to complete. The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) has given a contract to prepare a detailed mapping report of the metropolitan area (MMR) using satellite imageries and geographical information system (GIS).

Pune-based Science and Technology Park (STP), promoted by the department of science and technology (GoI), has been given the contract.

The report will include procurement and processing of satellite imageries and preparation of existing land use and generating the data in GIS.

Explaining the idea, director-general and CEO of STP Rajendra Jagdale, said: “We are carrying out this study for sustainable and planned development of areas as huge as the MMR. The idea is to procure high resolution images from satellite and process them systematically. These images could provide accurate information on all the agricultural as well as non-agricultural land use, residential, forest areas, water bodies, open spaces, slums, road network etc. The data once processed will be used for preparing a development plan for the metropolitan region.”

Jagdale further said that the satellite images would be procured through National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA). The agency is buying these images from a US-based company, Digital Club, which owns a private satellite. “These images are called as ‘quick bird’ image. We have already started the procurement. We are in the process of image processing and geo coding. Once this is finished, the actual ground trooping will be done,” he said.