Dindigul municipality maps out its development schemes

Preparation of base map, property and utility map using Geo Spatial Techniques, the first of its kind in the State, commenced in Dindigul municipality. Through this process, the municipality is all set to chalk out its future plans and development schemes. Launching the project here on Tuesday, Dindigul Municipal Chairman V. Marudha Raj said door-to-door survey would be undertaken to create a data base for the convenience of officials to chalk out future development plans. Details of all buildings, including commercial buildings, houses, water bodies, hotels, lodges, water streams, drinking water pumping stations, schools and colleges, in all the 48 wards would be digitised in the satellite image. At present, satellite image of Dindigul municipality did not have specific details of buildings. Information like drinking water connection, EB connection, number of shops or houses in each building or apartments would also be tagged in the map, he said. Survey of utilities like street lights, dust bins and underground drainage channels in every street and lane in Dindigul municipality would be tagged in the satellite images to enable municipal officials in Chennai and Dindigul to view it on the computer screen, he added. A total of 60 field survey staff would do physical verification to collect the data and students of Geo Informatics from Gandhigram Rural Institute, Mysore University and Barathidasan University would create a data base and do the mapping work, said P. Nandha Kishore, consultant of the project. The State government had given approval to prepare a base map for 12 urban local bodies Salem, Vellore, Erode, Tuticorin, Dindigul, Virudhunagar, Sivaganga, Udhagamandalam, Tambaram, Krishnagiri, Pudukkottai and Namakkal. A sum of Rs.6.4 crore had been sanctioned for this project. The State government had received funds in the form of credit from International Bank for Reconstruction and Development for preparing the map, municipal officials said.