Bhuvan portal to crowdsource data on condition of roads

Officials in the Public Works Department (PWD) will soon have the public breathing down their necks constantly providing information on the condition of the roads in their locality.

The Bhuvan Kerala portal launched here on Tuesday provides a GIS (Geographic Information System) platform to crowdsource geotagged status updates of roads.

Mobile app

Users can download a mobile app from the Bhuvan portal that can be used to report potholes or damage caused by excavations, flood or accidents to roads.

The geotagged photographs and voice information about roads can be conveyed to the engineers concerned through e-mail and SMS.

Officials would be required to provide feedback and update the user about the necessary steps taken to redress the complaint.

The portal has been developed by the PWD, the National Remote Sensing Centre under ISRO, and the Kerala State Remote Sensing and Environment Centre (KSREC) to provide an interface between the public and the department.

During the trial phase, the public can access the portal athttp://bhuvan-staging. nrsc.gov.in/events2/forest/ klpwd.php