Software in place to track potholes

As part of the functioning,the picture of the pothole will be uploaded on the server and distributed to the surveillance team for repair work. The surveillance team of the BMC will be given smartphones from which they will have to click pictures of potholes and upload them on Google images. The software will then highlight the pothole locations which are unattended in red and thereafter various stages of yellow and blue.

The blue colour will mean the pothole has been repaired. The software will not only have image of the potholes,but will bear exact location,mentioning the road’s name and ward where it exists. Herein citizens too will be able to send in pothole images and lodge their complaints through their cell phones.

The catch however is that the software is only supported by the Android cell phone operating technology with GPRS connection and no other phone can be used to click and upload pictures of the pothole. The tracking system http://www.voiceofcitizen.com/ will be linked to the civic body’s website. Android users will have to download the application from the site in order to take photographs. Once the photos are uploaded,SMSes will be sent to the complainants,who will be able to track their complaints till they are closed. “The inauguration of the software was slated 15 days after the proposal was passed. But due to some technical glitches there was a delay in its implementation,” said Shantanu Kulkarni,Director of Probity,the firm that has developed the software.

“The programme has been successful in Pimpri-Chinchwad. We thought it is a good time to adopt the software in Mumbai,” said Shiv Sena corporator and member of standing committee Rahul Shewale

Sameer Desai,Congress corporator and standing committee member,said,”Why should we waste money on collecting pictures of potholes,when the TV channels and BMC itself are doing it. The software will be used as a pothole tracker,it cannot ensure that the pothole is repaired properly.”