Info on public agencies just a click away with 'One Map Gurugram'

Gurugram: Living up to its name of Millennium City, Gurugram – which is also hailed as a 'cyber city' – is taking the lead in the digital era.

Taking inspiration from Singapore, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is planning to launch a project of 'One Map Gurugram', where all services and departments will be listed.

The application, which will be powered by geographical information system (GIS), will enable the citizens of Gurugram to get information about the public departments functioning in the city in just one click.

The departments range from urban bodies, forests, judiciary, agriculture, law and order and excise.

With a total of four tehsils – namely Gurugram, Manesar, Sohna and Farrukh Nagar – a total area of 675 square kilometres will be covered by the new application.

While this information used to be earlier accessed by the Google Map, One Map Gurugram is said to have a more comprehensive and personalised digital interface. It is expected to be formally launched in the last week of April.

On Tuesday, a demonstration of how the application will work was organised by GMDA officials.

"In the first formal GMDA meet, chaired by the Chief Minister, we had brought this subject to him and apprised him of the progress made. The introduction of this application will ensure that by one click, you will be able to access all the information regarding the public departments of Gurugram," said GMDA CEO, V Umashankar.

Meanwhile, GMDA, in collaboration with the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), has began preparations to make Gurugram the first city in the state to be covered with satellite surveillance.

Officials have begun talks with various companies and are also planning to set up a dedicated centre where the data will be evaluated.

Grappling with the challenge of illegal constructions, the initial objective of the enhanced technology will be to help officials get comprehensive information of such structures, so that action can be taken against the culprits.

There are also plans to use this technology to collect data on illegal colonies, so that steps can be taken to regularise them.

At a time when Gurugram is facing the crisis of falling ground water reserves, officials hope that the introduction of this technology will also aid in letting them know about areas with low water table.