The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Tiruchi News : Will geographical information system come through?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 21, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

Will geographical information system come through?

S. Ganesan

Corporation yet to release required funds

TIRUCHI: : Efforts to develop a municipal geographical information system (GIS) for the city seems to have run aground as the Tiruchi Corporation is yet to release required funds for the programme eight months after it signed an Memorandum of Understanding with Bharathidasan University and National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA).

Enquiries revealed that the university, represented by M. Manivel, Head, Department of Geology and the principal investigator of the project, was yet to begin the process of field data collection — a vital component of the project — pending receipt of funds by the Corporation.

The project envisages development of a customised GIS software, preparation of large-scale base maps derived from high resolution satellite imagery, field data collection of municipal services and amenities such as roads, street-light, water supply, sewerage and drainage.

The GIS-based system was expected to serve as a resource map and help civic managers plan development works in an efficient and need-based manner. The system would also contribute significantly to improving revenue collection and generation as street-specific demographic details including property tax assessments, tax collection and related issues, information on civic amenities including street lights, public toilets, water taps, parks, solid waste management and disposal could be obtained through it. It would also have useful applications for other government agencies such as the police, telecom and the district administration as well.

As per the MoU, signed by the three organisations in September last year, the Corporation had agreed to pay Rs.19 lakhs to the university while the NRSA had agreed to provide high-resolution satellite data and carry out the GPS control survey, base map preparation, GIS database generation and customisation and training. The NRSA had agreed to provide softwares and satellite images, worth Rs.60 lakhs, free of cost.

The Corporation had, in fact, agreed to make advance payment of the entire project cost to the university for conducting the field surveys for data collection. Students of geology were supposed to have been involved in the data collection and with the Corporation extending logistics support.

Though the civic body had initially showed much enthusiasm for the project (as manifested by the well publicised signing of the MoU), it has failed to follow it up in letter and spirit. A similar project taken up by the university for the Salem Corporation was nearing completion.

Sources said the Corporation, to start with, had planned to carry out the exercise at least in one of the four zones in the City. But, it was yet to release the funds even for this, they alleged. Corporation officials, when contacted, said the project was still on and would come through soon.

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