The Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has upgraded its GIS mapping. The Municipal Corporation and a satellite city to Mumbai has also initiated a new survey of the city using different technologies. E Ravendiran, Commissioner, Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) shares how KDMC is using technology to improve governance.
How will GIS based mapping help KDMC?
The GIS based mapping product is under upgradation. KDMC has begun a new survey of all the properties, including the public properties. Many loose constructions have happened in the past without following the due process or may be the property type has changed.
In the course of time, the size of the property has either been changed to suit the needs but this is not according to the law. GIS technologies help in mapping this change, by capturing the image of the property and through the ability to measure properly. This brings all the properties in the right tax net. As a result, we are expecting tax revenues to go up. The target is to reach 450 Cr from the current figure of 300 cr.
Which is the next big initiative on the cards in the Kalyan Dombivli region as far as technology is concerned?
In our e-governance model, 103 civic services offered by the KDMC will be made online. The servers will be deployed soon and subsequently 85 more services will be made online for the citizens. It will be done by the end of the year. The 15 services out of the currently available online services, which are made online are also available on the KDMC mobile app. Currently, they are on a trial basis. The services will be fine tuned and as soon as they stabilise, we will add the other 103 services on the mobile app too.
Can you tell us about KDMC’s plans to deploy CCTVs?
The tenders will soon be floated for CCTV deployments. The detailed project report (DPR) was approved by the General Body. Close to 680 locations have been identified for the putting up CCTVs. Shortly, the tenders will be called for using the same lamp posts for CCTVs and Wi-Fi devices. It will help the public body to provide service to the public and earn revenue too.
How is KDMC preparing to become a Smart city ?
For Smart city, technologies are being explored on metering water supply. The other area is solid waste management. The other demand of the citizens is for solid waste management – collection, transportation, processing and disposal. We have already got the solid waste management plan approved by the Government of Maharashtra and the central government.
The Smart proposal has been submitted to the central government. The result is awaited. Most of the citizens in their response to the Municipality’s invitation to comment on the kind of services they would like to have in a Smart city has opted for enhancing the development of the Kalyan railway station area with a special focus on the transport facilities.