CDGL launches ‘Tag the City’ project

[Salman]

LAHORE : The City District Government of Lahore (CDGL) has launched the ‘Tag the City’ project to help the town administrations and district departments to plan and execute campaigns on civic issues.

The project will also facilitate the people to search, locate and reach their destinations without any problem, it was learnt on Saturday.

“We have formed over 50 teams, comprising town and other departments’ officials, that are conducting a survey of the city with reference to addresses and phone number/websites of important places, including roads, residential localities/schemes, markets, hotels, government offices, educational institutes and historical sites,” said District Coordination Officer Dr Ahmad Javaid Qazi while talking to Dawn.

After the survey and tagging of the places/sites, the data would be compiled in both hard and soft copies with pictures, he said, adding the entire data would be later published in the form of a book/guide which would also be uploaded on a special website.

The DCO said such a huge data might be viewed through using the GIS (Geographical Information System) system with pictures and the live movement around the places mentioned in the data. He said the CDGL had contacted the Punjab Information Technology Board and other departments concerned having expertise in the GIS.

Talking about the benefits of the project, Mr Qazi said the project would help launching drives such as those against quackery or fake Pirs and it would also help in campaigns on cleanliness, solid waste, hospital waste, dengue or polio as the officials, through the project, would easily locate, compare and execute any activity or drive quickly instead of looking for old files or using the manual data.

Mr Qazi said the project would not only improve the capacity of the city’s town municipal administrations, union councils and other municipal work organisations in their activities but also help the public in accessing various places.

The DCO said the CDGL would also launch another project next month titled “Citizens for Good Governance”.

Through this project, the CDGL would involve the public in various development activities leading to city’s sustainable development and growth, he said, adding everyone, under the project, would easily access the officials through android phones, website, email and the toll free numbers. The existing Zimadar Shehri Project and its toll free number were being activated and upgraded, he maintained.

Mr Qazi claimed that by the end of next year, a state-of-the-art command and control system would be available through which the officials would be able to see the city’s routine business live. Through the system, he added, the city places, transport and external public movement would be seen which would also help officials arrest the criminals besides promoting social, educational and cultural activities.