PRASHANT RANGNEKAR MUMBAI, MAY 3 THE Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) is procuring satellite images of MMR region to help it draft more specific regional plans to allow faster and easier analysis. The work of procuring the images has been assigned to the Science and Technology Park (STP), Pune, and the entire process would cost around Rs 1.97crore. The satellite images would act as a base for preparing the regional plans. It would also help the agency in identifying areas like the urban areas, green areas, marshy land, areas under the creek and interpret it accordingly. These images would help the MMRDA to understand the land-use patterns and have a data of areas already under utilisation. However, this would not identify the small spaces between the constructions. The MMR region comprises seven Municipal Corporations and 13 Municipal Councils with a total area of some 4354 sq km. "The imaging of the entire MMR area needs to be done," said Uma Adusumilli, chief of planning division, MMRDA. "Under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act, we need to have proper classification of the existing land. The satellite images would be the base," she added. Sources also indicated the entire exercise would also prove useful for other Municipal Corporations and Councils in the MMR as the data would be beneficial to these local bodies in carrying out individual planning. The agency has conducted the job of procuring the satellite images. They are doing the job of interpreting the images. The entire work should be completed after which we can work on preparing the regional plan," added Adusumilli