Satellite images to track illegal buildings in Mumbai's Mulund

The BMC has selected the suburb of Mulund to undertake its pilot project to monitor illegal construction in Mumbai through satellite imagery and mapping, the Bombay high court was informed last week. A division bench of Chief Justice NareshPatil and Justice NitinJamdar said that it expected the corporation to expedite the process and has scheduled the matter for further hearing on Monday. The court was hearing petitions about mushrooming of unauthorised structures across the state. The bench headed by the chief justice had pushed the authorities to crack down on illegal construction in the city with the aid of technology. Assistant municipal commissioner AjitkumarAmbi filed an affidavit in court and informed that municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta had given his administrative approval to undertake the pilot project in 'T' ward that encompasses the suburb of Mulund. The affidavit added that the BMC was awaiting satellite images, analysis and the estimated expenses from the Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre (MRSAC) in Nagpur. The civic body will implement the pilot project once it receives the report from MRSAC, the affidavit added. The court directed an officer from the state information technology (IT) department to remain present for the next hearing of the PIL.