3D GIS system for monitoring illegal constructions

Hyderabad, India, 23 January 2007 - To put a check on illegal construction work in the National Capital, the Government of India has developed a high-tech resolution satellite imaging system to monitor such activities, Union Minister of Science and Technology Kapil Sibal said while inaugurating the Map World Forum, organised to commemorate the tenth year of annual Map India conference.

"In the case of illegal constructions in Delhi, we are using a high-resolution satellite imaging and a special multimedia mapping to build a 3-D Geographical Information System (GIS) with live cameras to help us monitor in real time construction activity over a selected 20 square km areas," the Minister said while addressing more than 800 delegates from around the world at the event jointly organized by the Ministry and GIS Development, a media organization working towards promoting the usage of GIS and its application.

"We are hopeful that in another 12-14 months entire Delhi will be covered and we will be able to monitor that no illegal structure comes up in the city," he said. "Initially, the system is for monitoring illegal construction. It could be applied for crime surveillance and forecasting and even for activities like garbage collection," he said.

Sibal said, the issue of illegal structure was raised in Delhi more than a year ago and planners had not given much thought on what kind of construction was taking place. "It is difficult to place inspectors at each areas to stop illegal construction work. So our Ministry decided to come out with a technology to see what kind of construction work happens," he said.

The GIS has been developed jointly by the Department of Science and Technology and the Russain Academy of Science and other private partners, he said, adding that the technology was developed on a nominal cost. The Minister said the system would not only help in keeping surveillance, but also help planners to regulate and monitor. "The system will solve our problem. This also shows the huge potential of the technology," he said.

Source : http://www.hindu.com