NMC goes hi-tech, data of Nagpur trees a click away

With a motive to maintain the status of green city, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has started preparing data of each and every tree standing in the city with the help of satellite images.

The information can be known by one mouse click. The data of 50 wards out of total 136 has been already completed. Nagpur is commonly said as second greenest city. This status was given considering the vast green cover in the city. Due to infrastructure development, and other reasons, big trees, especially environment control trees like gulmohar, were chopped in large numbers. With increase in population, it is said that green cover is decreasing. Many NGOs, and social organisations started raising question mark of green cover of the city. Considering this, and lack of improper tree census in past, NMC decided to conduct a tree census. In 2005, NMC asked city-based Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre (MRSAC) to give a base map of the city for assessment of properties in the city. With the help of satellite images taken by Hyderabad-based National Remote Sensing Centre, a centre of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 2004, MRSAC submitted a base map to NMC. Due to technical problems, the tree census was not possible. NMCs Garden Department gave a contract of manual tree census to a private company in May. The work was started by the company in July. Due to various reasons, the proper census of trees was not possible. Considering this, Garden Department requested National Remote Sensing Centre to give fresh satellite images of the city. In September, this Centre sent the satellite images of the city taken in April. Later MRSAC conducted geo-referencing of the satellite images. With this help of satellite images, the private company was directed to conduct manual census. Finally, it was a successful idea, and tree census was started in proper way. Under the guidance of Municipal Commissioner Aseem Gupta, Garden Superintendent N B Shrikhande chalked out a decent plan. Under this plan, he asked the private contractor to bring 26 types of characteristics of each and every tree. The census started in same manner and details of 50 Wards were received from private contractor. With the help of information, Garden Department has prepared a data of each and every tree. The complete data of each and every in 50 Wards has been completed till date. This data comprises total number of trees in a ward. Besides, total number of specific tree in a ward. Total 26 types of characteristics of each and every tree including location, height, width, name, hold by NMC or private, status, any danger, age etc. The data can be known with a mouse click on the map of the city. The whole data of the city will be known only after the completion of work in remaining wards.