Cuttack: Individuals and firms putting up hoardings at ‘no hoarding zones’ in the Silver City better take note as the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) is all set to introduce Geographic Information System (GIS) software to track down the illegal hoardings.
Elaborating the GIS software, a senior CMC official said, “Once the GIS software is installed in the computers, the civic body can visualise as well as analyse the locations and banners put up especially at ‘no hoarding zones’ and ensure crackdowns on the illegal hoarders,” the official said.
“The software is time-saving and requires less manpower as the squad need not have to physically visit the places of illegal hoardings,” CMC sources said.
The civic body has written to the Housing and Urban Development department requesting its permission for early implementation of the modern technology.
Recently, Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), an international supplier of GIS software, had organised a video projection event to help CMC officials learn the software.
As many as 54 firms have been engaged by the civic body to fix hoardings and banners under its jurisdiction. “Several firms have been fixing hoardings at ‘no-hoarding zones’ and flouting norms of the agreement besides evading tax.
CMC commissioner Bikash Chandra Mohapatra said the technology will help bring transparency in the prevailing state of affairs. “Convinced by the array of features GIS software offers, we have decided to adopt it. It will help keep tabs on the illegal entities who have been giving financial setbacks to the civic body,” Mohapatra stated.
Meanwhile, Ward No-4 corporator Giribala Behera said time would say how and what the civic body has gained using technology.