Kamala mills fire impact: BMC launches software to check encroachment menace

Civic body officials will raze illegal structures on vacant plots after they are identified

The massive demolition drive in the backdrop of December's Kamala Mills tragedy may have borne little results, but the BMC is all set to launch a bigger crackdown on those involved in encroachments and illegal building extensions. Sources said the civic body is developing a software based on the Geographical Information System (GIS) to help them curb the menace by highlighting problem areas in the city.

According to sources, the officials will compare maps of the city as old as 20 years with recent ones, as presented by the GIS software, to identify and, consequently, demolish encroachments around the city. A source from the BMC said that accuracy of the software's results may be an issue, but the tech team of the civic body is working to solve this problem. The source said, "The old maps would be uploaded for access by ward officials, who need to compare those with recent maps of the city. The software will intimate the designated officers from each ward about the exact location of the encroachments so they can take requisite action."
Sources said that the authorities would also target illegal constructions or encroachment of open spaces, especially, those since 2000. A BMC official said, "The authorities are looking out for illegal extensions of establishments. The officials would raze illegal structures on vacant plots immediately after they are identified."

Incidentally, a day after 14 people lost their lives in the Kamala Mills fire, the BMC launched a massive demolition drive and bulldozed through restaurants that had encroached on open spaces or built illegal extensions across the city. Assistant municipal commissioner Vishvas Shan­karwar said, "The GIS software was part of the BMC's annual budget. We hope that it will go a long way in ending the encroachment menace."

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