Satellite images cut CDP 2015 time

French firm does the job in two years; masterplan built on 'sustainable built environment'

The Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP), Bangalore Metropolitan Area - 2015, was developed in a short period of less than two years.

The feat was possible due to the efforts of SCE Creocean, a French engineering firm which used remote sensing data like aerial photographs extensively to develop ground-level base maps for the master plan.

SCE Creocean was entrusted the work under the Metropolitan Spatial Data Infrastructure Project for the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), financed by a Rs 20 crore grant under the Indo-French Protocol.

The company, while developing the master plan, has adopted the European principle of sustainable built environment (SBE) for the master plan.

"By doing this we have been able to save some natural valleys and lakes that have helped rejuvenate ground water in and around the Bangalore city. In all, 3,713 hectares of tank area and 7,791 hectares of valley area is being protected," said Herve Beaudet as CEO of SCE Creocean India.

The CDP is to maintain and strengthen the green belt, to preserve the city's natural assets like water resources and its biodiversity. As per the revised plan, the catchment area of the Tippagondanahalli reservoir in the western parts of the city is to be retained. For this reservoir charges city's ground water table. In the southern parts an effort is also made to retain the forest cover, especially the Bannerghatta national forest reserve.

Also, SCE has taken into account Bangalore's population which is over five million today and covers an area of 446 square kms. In another 10 years, the city would have expanded to 546 square kms, according to the development plan.

"Bangalore is one of the most developed in India and is considered the country's technological capital. The development is primarily due to the establishment of several information technology companies and the setting up of special economic zones meant mainly for facilitating foreign investments and products before being exported," Jean Philippe Lestang said before returning to France.

In his place, Herve Beaudet has taken charge as CEO of SCE Creocean India.

For the CDP, Jean Philippe Lestang and his team had taken the best practices in their assignments and experiences in several projects like Greater Paris Regional Authority, developing Morocco city structure, plan of Rabat - Sale (the capital of the Kingdom), and projects in Moscow, Colombo and several cities in the Mediterranean region.

SCE has also finalised the digital mapping project of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (290 square kms).

The CDP for Bangalore may take less than a year to be implemented while the CDP-1985 plan took nearly 10 years from its development to execution, said a senior town planning official.