UAVs can map better town planning

While it is early days, municipalities, utilities and other bodies are warming up to the importance of aerial mapping and data generation

Faizullaganj is a tightly packed neighbourhood of Lucknow, the capital city of India’s most populous state Uttar Pradesh. 

Planning for redevelopment, repairs or reconstruction of basic facilities in the city and its neighbourhoods is no easy task. The simplest of projects can take months. When the Lucknow Jal Nigam (LJN), the body that manages water supply to the city, decided to ensure reliable supply of drinking water for Faizullaganj, the administrators came up with a unique solution. 

Mapping the 17 square kilometres of the neighbourhood packed tightly with dwellings that came up haphazardly is time consuming. Typically ground surveys can take six