BMC officers to be trained to operate satellite technology

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) employees will be trained to operate satellite technology to curb illegal construction in Mumbai. The state government department, Maharashtra Remote Sensing Centre (MRSC), will train the BMC employees.

A division bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice N.M. Jamdar was hearing bunch of petitions about mushrooming unauthorised structures across the state. The court had earlier pushed the authorities to crack down on illegal construction in the city with the help of technology.

Assitant municipal commissioner Ajitkumar Ambi had filed an affidavit in last week and informed that municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta had given administrative approval to undertake the pilot project in T-ward in Mulund. The affidavit added that the BMC was awaiting satellite image analysis and the estimated expenses from the Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre (MRSAC) in Nagpur. The civic body will implement the pilot project once it receives the report from MRSAC.

On Friday, advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni informed the court about a centre in Hyderabad that collects all satellite images. “It is the only satellite images collection centre in India, where previous images are also made available to the authorities,” he said.

Mr Kumbhakoni, further said that centre will give images to MRSAC who will provide images, technology and technical know-how (knowledge of using technology) to the BMC.

The court was satisfied with the reply by the state and kept the hearing after six weeks.