Bhayandar: To bring more properties under the property tax net and to enhance transparency in other wings, the state government had recently decided to implement a Geographical Information System (GIS)-enabled tax tracking system across all cities on a priority basis.
However, despite having technology at their command, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) prefers an outdated working system which has emerged as the biggest culprits behind lethargic revenue generation and awry management in other infrastructure projects being undertaken in the twin-city.
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Moreover, the civic body does not have accurate maps of underground water and drainage pipelines, as a result there have been several instances when cables of various utilities such as water, drainage lines, power and internet cables have been inadvertently damaged during repair works. The population of the twin-city has been growing rapidly, as a result, the extent of underground utilities provided has also increased in the last couple of decades.
Updating the GIS mapping will help the corporation to better maintain the recently completed underground sewerage lines, water supply lines and storm water drains in the city. The MBMC had awarded the GIS preparation contract to a Santacruz-based, company in June, 2007 with a stipulated 16-month deadline. The Rs 60 lakh project envisaging creation of Urban Base Maps. Infrastructure maps and database using satellite images, GIS and GPS technology, was finally completed and handed over to the MBMC in March, 2012. However, the software and its components were never used nor updated and above all nobody has a clue of its existence.
