The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), also known as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corpora­tion (BMC), is the civic body that governs Mumbai. The autonomous institution performs several functions, which include providing medical services, education, water supply, fire services and garbage disposal, drainage development, and impro­ve­­­ment of roads and street lighting. In a bid to expedite decision-making, BMC has launched the One MCGM GIS portal and the MCGM 24×7 mobile app.

Over the years, MCGM has realised that the geographic information system (GIS) not only helps in managing the existing infrastructure but also aids in planning development works for the future. Many de­­partments use GIS not only for spatially referenced data, but also for the information needed to carry out further analysis. It helps MCGM’s departments and utility con­­­­­­tractors to determine the location of th­e­ir assets as well as analyse their attributes.

MCGM provides its citizens with public services, which varies based on the size of the area and the population served. The local governments, over the years, have ty­pi­­cally managed these utility systems with the help of hard copy paper maps. How­­ever, GIS has made it possible to effectively manage these public services. Many municipalities have switched to GIS-based systems because such systems have the ability to combine a large quantum of spatial and non-spatial data, and segregate it into various layers or themes, thereby making analysis easier.

In order to better manage its services, MCGM is using a digitalised map of Mum­bai with the ArcGIS system developed by the National Informatics Centre. MCGM started researching on ways to update its data and increase efficiency within the departments and set up a centralised system that could be accessed across all departments in the city. To this end, it decided to deploy the Permanent Re­­ference System and Trimble’s real-time rovers to update the database.

In December 2017, MCGM launched a web portal called One MCGM GIS. MCGM selected Esri’s ArcGIS Server technology as its city-wide GIS enterprise management solution. ArcGIS Server integrates images, detailed maps and property-level maps, and links them to a   wide range of enterprise data used for various city functions. The server also provides a common platform for authorised and secured access to data, thereby harmonising the workflow of respective departmentsand facilitating dissemination of information for public benefit.

Key features

The portal will help people keep track of the different categories under which the land has been reserved in the Develop­ment Plan 2014-34, that provides a blueprint of the city’s development. Informa­tion about the reservation category of any plot of land can be accessed through a GIS-enabled smartphone. Apart from information about land reservation, the portal will have information pertaining to other departments of the civic body such as solid waste management, disaster management, water resources, property tax, road and transport, and sewage operations. This will expedite decision-making and im­­­­­prove coordination among various de­partments. Further, the portal provides information regarding road repairs by simply typing in the name of a road.

Benefits in store

The One MCGM GIS portal would not only enhance the efficiency of the municipal corporation’s operations but also help in calculating the accurate fee and creating management information system reports comprising date-wise, ward-wise and village-wise reports. In addition to providing information, the portal will reduce the time taken to approve a project as responses from various departments will be automated and the number of steps involved will be reduced. The move is expected to improve interdepartmental coordination and reduce response time.

Conclusion

MCGM is working towards improving basic services in the city. The launch of the One MCGM GIS portal and the MCGM 24×7 mobile app is an important step in this direction. However, their success would depend on large-scale public participation and the creation of an accurate, up-to-date and well-maintained public database.