Bangalore has been in the forefront in terms of
GIS applications in planning and urban management. The BMRDA, BDA, BMTC and
BWSSB have taken initiatives in employing GIS technology in their
functioning. GIS provides the ability to capture, store, and
manipulate map data along with the associated attribute data. The ability to
handle spatial data makes a GIS a very powerful tool in the hands of a planner.
Planning and guiding implementation of plans for a whole region requires the
planner to have access to vast amounts of data regarding the region. Accurate
and timely information are a necessity for the planning exercise. Data regarding
land use pattern, infrastructure networks, soils, geology, contours, along with
attribute information like census data are essential for developing plans for a
region.
The Bangalore Metropolitan Regional Development Authority
(BMRDA), and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) have taken a lead in
developing GIS applications in this area.
Utility and facilities
management is another area where GIS technology has a significant role to play.
Urban utility and transportation networks can be planned and managed effectively
using a GIS. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), and the
Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) have taken the initiative in
utilizing GIS technology in their functioning. Apart from these Governmental
organizations, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) such as Centre for
Environmental Education (CEE), and Swabhimana are also utilizing GIS
applications in their work.
In this paper we first discuss the GIS that
has been setup at the Bangalore Metropolitan Regional Development Authority
(BMRDA). Then we discuss the ongoing development of a GIS at the Bangalore
Development Authority (BDA). Next, a summary of GIS efforts at the Bangalore
Metropolitan Transport Corporation, and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage
Board is given. Finally, GIS applications used by NGOs in Bangalore are
summarized.
BMRDA GIS The availability of information in the
form of documents, records and maps provides a strong base for formulating
rules, regulations and laws for the effective management of land use and its
planning. GIS technology as an indispensable tool in the field of modern
planning is a well-established fact as major planning agencies worldwide are now
extensively using GIS. On the same lines a major step was taken by the BMRDA to
develop a GIS Centre to assist in its planning activities.
This is a
pioneering effort in the sense that it is the first GIS of this nature in the
country. The GIS centre at the BMRDA now houses GIS layers and related data of
12 taluks under the jurisdiction of the BMRDA.
Land Use Planning at
the BMRDA The BMRDA is entrusted with the responsibility of preparing
plans for the development of the metropolitan region. For planning the land use,
the BMRDA has to prepare:
1) A structural plan defining the priorities of
the government to develop the metropolitan region
2) A development plan
which gives details of the development and gives an overall land use pattern for
the region, and identifies areas for different uses
3) Local area plans
which gives cadastral map level details for the land use of the urbanisable
area.
GIS Centre The GIS center at the BMRDA has been
established to:
- enter, update, and retrieve both map based and attribute data in the
Bangalore region
- assist in data analysis for preparation of Structural, Comprehensive
Development, and Local Area Development plans
- analyse temporal changes in the growth of the metropolitan region and
predict changes in the future
- generate relevant thematic maps and analytical reports
- provide maps and data for monitoring and implementing the
plans.
Data Available at the Centre Base Map at 1:50 000 scale for
structural and development plans has the following features:
- land use/land cover
- drainage, water bodies, irrigation systems
- contours and slopes
- land geomorphology and soils
- roads, rail and electricity network
- administrative boundaries
Non Map Data available at the Centre
includes Census data from 1971, 1981, 1991. Hobli level data and a Town
Municipal Council database are also available. Data on industrial estates in the
region is also present.
Hardware and Software The BMRDA GIS
Centre houses Windows NT/Windows95 LAN based Hardware set-up. The present
configuration of the Server are: 100 MHz Pentium Processor, 64 MB RAM, 5 GB Hard
Disk space, 2 GB DAT drive, 3.5" floppy disk drive, 5.25" floppy disk drive and
16x CD-ROM drive for data retrieval and back-up. WindowsNT ver 3.51 is the
operating system for the server, and clients have Windows 95. CARIS ver 4.3.1
from Universal Systems, Canada supplied by Siemens Information Syst-ems.Ltd is
the GIS Software Tool at the Centre. MS-Office Professional is being used which
also involves DBMS System MS-Access. The RDBMS Package MS-SQL Server 6.5 serves
the attribute data requirements.
BDA GISThe Bangalore
Development Authority, under the Integrated Urban Environment Improvement
Project has commissioned a GIS for four layouts (HBR Stage 1 & 2, OMBR,
HRBR, and East of NGEF) covering 40 square kilometers in North-East Bangalore.
This is a pilot project with a potential extension to the whole of Bangalore
City.
This project aims at environmental improvement of the four
layouts, an important aspect of which is utilities management. Effective
management of utilities requires up-to-date map and other attribute data, for
preparing maintenance plans, cost management, data modification, updating and
retrieval. GIS is an ideal system to handle all the above. The future expansion
of this information system would lead to more generalised GIS system, which can
be used for urban planning, and other utility management.
A common
database that can be used by all utilities is being developed. Multiple users
have been identified for this GIS viz., BDA, BCC, KEB, BWSSB, Telephones
department, Postal Department, Police, Residents’ association, NGOs (CEE, TERI,
and Waste Wise) involved in Solid Waste Management.
The system being
installed is a networked (Windows NT / 95 LAN), Client Server architecture. The
data will reside in a GIS Server in the BDA GIS-Centre. The clients, within the
BDA will have access to the Server through a Local Area Network (LAN) and the
Clients at various locations like the BDA layout office, BCC, KEB, BWSSB, and
others can have access to the server through LAN remote login. Customised
applications will be developed for specific users to use the common database,
update, modify and output results. For general users, a Web based GIS system
will also be customised, so that the data can be viewed through Internet tools.
The base maps being used are at 1:1000 scale and have parcel level
information. A walkthrough survey will be carried out to map above ground
features such as location of dustbins, trees, electric infrastructure, telecom
information, etc.