Wednesday, November 1. 2006

Surveillance in India=Country's Own Google Earth?

CNN-IBN reports of a new surveillance system currently being prototyped to ferret out crime in India. The article describes it as India's own Google Earth and seems to confuse surveillance and GIS.

In the first phase, live cameras will cover a 20-sq-km area, and the three-dimensional surveillance system – called Geographical Information System or GIS – will be used to trace all kinds of illegal activities; from civic lawlessness to traffic snarls and much more.

The article then goes on about the cameras in the pilot finding illegal construction. Then notes:

If the project, estimated to cost of Rs 3 crore, gets the ‘go ahead’, high-resolution satellite imagery for the whole of Delhi will be available by 2008.

However, to avoid controversies like the ones Google Earth is encountering, the imagery involving sensitive installations will be kept out of public domain.

I hope those involved in approving this system understand the difference between real time cameras (which they are prototyping) and satellite imagery (that takes time to process).

The Times of India does a better job explaining the system and doesn't even mention Google Earth.