Aurangabad, Aug 25:
The Aurangabad Smart City Development Corporation Limited (ASCDCL) is conducting the drone survey to assess properties falling in an area of 4.5 square kilometres daily. Accordingly, the survey of the 80 sq. km area in the city has been completed, under the GIS mapping project, so far.
The project is implemented by a Gujarat-based agency. Of the total area of 170 sq km, the drone survey has been permitted to fly in 135 sq km, while the layering of differential global positioning system (DGPS) and obtaining satellite images from the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC, Hyderabad) are other components of the project.
ASCDCL project engineer Faiz Ali said that the task is expected to be completed in one month. The drone survey is based on the DGPS and by using satellite images, we have started a physical survey from Zone No-9.
Earlier, the ASCDCL chief executive officer A K Pandey has instructed the agency and the ASCDCL to complete the GIS survey by end of this year so that by the next financial year all properties in AMC limits are regularised.
Technology proving boon for cities
Many big cities in Maharashtra had become successful in terms of revenue collection by conducting property assessment surveys using advanced technology. Their property tax collections had been increased. Hence the AMC is also hopeful of overcoming financial crisis after its inclusion in the Smart City Mission.
The AMC collected a revenue of Rs 107 crore property tax, against the target of Rs 468 crore, during the last financial year. The water collection is very poor in the city as the recovery was Rs 29 crore during 2020-21, although the private agency in the past would collect water tax to the tune of Rs 60 crore.