Satellite imaging of Islamabad to help root out encroachments

[Salman]

Islamabad

Digitalisation and satellite imaging of Islamabad would help eradicate encroachments in the city and also facilitate future planning by using latest technology and techniques as well as it will minimise the human involvement especially during the award of new sectors, said CDA Member (Administration) Amer Ali Ahmed.

Capital Development Authority (CDA) will ink a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pakistan space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) on Monday (December 16) regarding satellite imaging to root out encroachments from Islamabad by using overlay imaging technique. CDA Member (Administration) Amer Ali Ahmed will sign the MoU on behalf of CDA.

It was decided in the meeting of Suparco representatives with CDA Member (Administration) held at CDA Headquarters on Friday.

To wipe out the encroachments from the city CDA will utilise latest satellite imaging techniques available with Suparco to eradicate the encroachments from the city, said member administration.

According to details this satellite imaging would be taken in four different phases. As a first step, Suparco would provide the data of satellite images of last five years, which is available with Suparco and by using overlay imaging technique CDA would be able to identify the encroachments during occurred during last five years.

In second phase, to check the ongoing encroachments, Islamabad will be divided into 34 parts and Suparco will take the satellite images of each part separately and then monitor it by its fresh satellite images after every 15 days and would identify the encroachments by matching the previous and fresh images taken through satellite.

Thirdly, Suparco will take satellite image of every newly acquired area of Islamabad at the time of award, showing all the built up property indicating the number of houses in the area, this image would be annexed with the award to check the subsequent encroachments or increase in number of houses or built in property to make the process more transparent as well as to minimise the human involvement.

As a fourth measure, the whole Islamabad will be digitalised and there will be a digital map of Islamabad including the rural areas indicating each and every place e.g. schools, hospitals, roads, dams, parks, shopping centres etc. to keep check on the hap hazardous increase in housing and illegal possessions and help in future planning.