Satellite image skips 2 km stretch, minister orders inclusion
The Statesman | 8 July 2025
Satellite mapping has misled state engineers during the planning of a Rs 14-crore rural road, omitting a crucial 2-km stretch. This error has now been rectified, following instructions from state panchayat and rural development minister Pradip Majumdar to include the missing segment after a field survey.
The oversight occurred as local beneficiaries refused to allow the construction agencies access to the site in May, when the official ground-breaking ceremony was held.
Satellite imagery has become an essential tool in planning infrastructure such as roads and bridges, and is also used for land-use mapping and monitoring project progress. However, over-reliance on Google Maps by engineers of the panchayat and rural development department created a setback for the Kanksa panchayat samiti.
The Rs 14 crore road, intended to connect Shibpur in Kanksa and Madhaipur in Laudoha—spanning two Assembly constituencies, Galsi and Pandaveswar—was incorrectly planned. The road was supposed to start from a tribal settlement near the Ajoy riverbank, but Google Maps showed its origin point at Chanditalla, 2 km away, leading to confusion and community protests.
Initially, the panchayat samiti had sought funding from the Paschimanchal Unnayan Parshad, which redirected the matter to the state panchayat and rural development department. Officials say the revised road will benefit at least three dozen villages in the two constituencies by improving connectivity.
Due to persistent public demand from residents of forest-adjacent areas, the Kanksa panchayat samiti visited Shibpur recently. Nabakumar Samanta, karmadhyaksha of the Samiti, said: “The engineers relied solely on Google Maps, which caused the confusion. We’ve always insisted that technical personnel carry out field inspections in addition to using satellite data, but many today find virtual methods more convenient.”
A senior engineer from the rural development department noted: “Google Maps uses satellite images, user reports, and data from local authorities, which are expected to update area maps regularly. However, such data may not always be accurate or timely. Physical inspection should remain a priority to prevent such mishaps.”