PCMC to conduct drone survey of properties

The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will start using modern technology and drone surveys to efficiently measure every property in the city.

“PCMC is the first municipal corporation in the state to start such an initiative,” said, municipal commissioner, Shekhar Singh.

The initiative was launched on Monday by flying a drone at HA ground in Pimpri, in the presence of Singh.

Additional commissioner Pradeep Jambhale Patil, special officer Kiran Gaikwad, administration officers Nana More, Rajaram Sargar, Sheetal Wakade, director of Architectural Consultants India Pvt Ltd Prashant Doifode, and Wasim Qureshi of the information and public relations department were also present at the program organised by the tax collection department of PCMC.

Through drone surveys, the corporation intends to accurately measure the properties in the city, bringing unregistered properties into the tax ambit and preventing unauthorized constructions, said PCMC in a statement.

Singh said drones can be used not only for property surveys but also for disaster management, construction permits, sky signs, license and encroachment departments.

“A GIS-based property registration survey and tax valuation project have been implemented on behalf of the Municipal Corporation to ensure accurate property assessment for taxation purposes,” he said.

The computerisation of site maps of properties through drone surveys will effectively link all the information collected with digital photos in the tax assessment computer manual property-wise. The taxable area, map, property photo, and tax assessment can all be viewed together with the help of a computer command.

The survey is expected to significantly increase the revenue of the tax collection department, with estimates reaching up to one and a half thousand crores.

The main source of income for the municipality is property tax, with 6,30,000 properties in the city. In the financial year 2023-24, the tax collection department collected ₹977 crore tax. However, many properties in the city remain unregistered, which has prompted the use of modern technology.

Patil, said, “The municipal corporation has been conducting property surveys. However, for the first time, the property survey will be done using advanced technologies like drones.”

Nilesh Deshmukh, assistant commissioner of the tax collection department at PCMC, said, the department plays a crucial role in generating revenue for the corporation. Since taking charge, we have implemented new technologies and experiments to boost revenue.

“Following a drone survey, it’s estimated that around 200,000 new properties will be included in the tax net, potentially generating revenue of around 1,500 crores for the municipal corporation in near future,” he said.