Abdul Wahab Khan
Panaji
In a unique achievement, Panaji has become the first city in India to obtain complete 0.5-metre contour data for its entire municipal area following a detailed topographical survey and stormwater drain mapping project carried out under the Urban-Act initiative. This will enable evidence-based climate change adaptation and ensure a data-driven approach to planning.
“The project covered 8.12 sq km of the city and mapped 70.78 km of road networks. The survey was carried out using drone technology, for which special permissions from the national ministry took two months to secure. This was the first time such a survey had been undertaken in the country,” said Alisa Sahu, Urban and Regional Development Advisor with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ India).
She was speaking at the Workshop on Climate Resilience Interventions held on Wednesday.
The mapping generated detailed information on 70.78 km of road networks and 92 km of drainage systems. The six-month survey was conducted between September 2024 and February 2025 in partnership with Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL).
“The accuracy of the data, supported by the Survey of India’s satellite positioning, allows planners to understand elevations, building footprints and infrastructure layouts without needing physical site inspections,” said Sahu.
She said the availability of 0.5-metre contour data gives the city highly granular information relevant to assessing urban flooding and water-related challenges.
“Panaji is the only city in India with complete contour data of this precision for its entire municipal jurisdiction,” she said.
The study documented 10 major outfalls leading to the Mandovi River and two kilometres of underground drainage. It also identified gaps and disconnections in the drainage network, providing data for future flood-management planning.
Utility mapping formed another component of the project, covering EV charging stations, telephone boxes and traffic signals to create a digital infrastructure inventory. Street sections were recorded every 100 metres, producing AutoCAD-ready data showing road levels and drainage layouts.
Officials said the digital database is expected to
support climate-resilient urban planning and may serve as a reference for similar initiatives in other Indian
cities.
