CDA uses geo-tagging to find illegal structures in Islamabad
According to a report published on April 16, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Building Control Wing (South Division) has identified 597 unauthorized structures across Islamabad using advanced geo-tagging technology.
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Prior to three months ago, the first phase of geo-tagging properties commenced, encompassing both authorized and unauthorized commercial structures under the jurisdiction of the Building Control Wing (South Division). It was noted that CDA’s initial emphasis will be on using the insights gathered by this technology to improve internal processes, with plans to make this information available to citizens (via its official website) in subsequent phases.
According to reliable sources, the inventory of unauthorized properties and their precise coordinates have been sent to the Directorate of Enforcement for the development of a corrective strategy.
In the meantime, the CDA Information Technology Directorate is striving to make the data accessible via the organization’s website. Officials of the authority lauded this digital outreach as a significant step towards educating the public and fostering awareness in order to mitigate potential future liabilities. Historically, information has been restricted to physical archives due to the absence of a comprehensive automated system for centralized data collection.
Nonetheless, a recent exhaustive field survey utilized geo-tagging via Google Maps to effectively combine vital details with precise building locations.
Once accessible online, a comprehensive database encompassing both commercial and residential structures will facilitate future decision-making.
This novel approach will enable users to quickly retrieve location coordinates, dimensions, conditions, legal status, and ownership information with a single click.
According to reports, Muhammad Shafi Marwat, the Director of Building Control South, has validated the compilation of a list of illegal commercial structures, each of which has been meticulously geotagged.
