Using GIS in water management system: case study of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board

Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) moved forward on developing a GIS in 1998-99 and along with other civic bodies of Bangalore (BDA , BMP, BESCOM and others) pooled resources for obtaining aerial photography and photogrammetrically compiled base map covering an area of 290 Sq Kms of Bangalore from the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA).

BWSSB under the Indo-French protocol in 1999 assigned the work of developing a GIS System to M/s SCE France. This led to the development of BISON (Bangalore Information System on Networks) applications for the operational activities of BWSSB. The GIS development was completed in the year 2002. Genesys International Corporation Ltd, an internationally known, ISO 9001-2000, GIS and mapping company, had taken charge of implementation and maintenance of GIS at BWSSB from Nov 2003 onwards.

The GIS hardware/software setup at BWSSB is described in the presentation. The presentation provides details of the applications of BISON such as water supply maintenance, asset management, consumers management, billing system, employee management, sewage maintenance etc. The data available in geo-database at BWSSB includes the following -   

• Spatial data                                                                            
  • Road network & road names
  • Base map of buildings, green area & landmarks
  • Consumers
  • Location of service station
  • Details of water supply network
  • Details of sewer network
  • Location of BWSSB offices
• Non-spatial data
  • Attributes of water network
  • Attributes of sewer network

The GIS data available with BWSSB is being used in planning pipe line layout for new wards and CMC areas. Planning is carried out by identifying the main feeder line or nearby reservoir or nearby main sewer line to lay a new pipeline network for the new layout.

The presentation makes the following recommendations for enhancement of GIS –

• Web hosting of GIS on intranet/internet.
• Online registration of consumer complaints and linking with GIS through Internet.
• Providing ortho-imagery (from satellite/aerial) as background.
•  Draped DEM attached to maps, providing a better perception of ground for engineering planning (new connections, network planning, replacements/repairs).
• Contour map generation from DEM to assist in sewage route planning / laying of storm water drains, network planning etc.,
•  Connectivity with other civic bodies to share related information
•  GIS on a handheld device

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