Introduction
Pakistan is one of the developing countries of South Asia. Amongst various
problems faced by the developing countries, one of the major challenges is fresh
water availability to its inhabitants. Government of Pakistan is paying full
attention towards this problem because many more issues are associated with
proper supply of water and drainage system. Few of them are the gradual decrease
in ground water level, purification of drinking water, proper allocation of
resources to system with increase in population, installation of properly
planned drainage system in congested areas as well as for the new schemes.
To identify the causes of water related diseases a properly managed water supply
and drainage management information system is the basic requirement of this era.
The information generated by such information system will be more useful in
analysis and planning if GIS is involved. The use of GIS will facilitate the
users of the system to identify spatially referenced features on the ground,
perform analysis, infer and make appropriate actions on time.
A Spatial Database is required to store the spatially referenced data and to
keep log of allocated resources as well as the information about the required
financial and technical resources for planning extensions.
To keep in mind these things that describe above we have developed web based GIS
for fresh water supply system of UC-60 Lahore.
Study Area
Our study area is UC-60 Lahore. Union Council 60 is a poor peri urban community
located in Aziz Bhatti Town near Rangers Headquarters Lahore.
Location
31Degree 33 minute 05 Second North and 74 Degree 24 minute 56 Second East.
Present Status of Water and Sanitation in UC-60 Lahore
They have no access to government water supply and sanitation schemes. Poverty,
illiteracy and absence of any health and hygiene program have resulted in poor
community health. 37 to 42% adults and children were sick in last three month
from water and sanitation diseases.
Poor health of the Inhabitants
The initial field survey revealed that people in the area do not have any water
supply and sanitation system.
Anecdotal evidence from the discussion with communities suggests that elders and
children’s health is affected as the sewage water is mixed with the drinking
water.
The existing water supply is through instillation of small motor pumps to
extract ground water.
Disease Profile of the Area
Extremely low literacy rate, poor hygienic knowledge about the safe storage of
water has impacted the community health. It is reported that in children Gastro
is mostly reported diseases followed by Diarrhea and Jaundice
Knowledge about quality and storage of water
The respondents were aware about the importance of the quality of water based on
the indicators of taste, color and smell.
58% were not satisfied with the quality of water based on the indicators.
However, there un-satisfaction was not translated into concrete positive health
behavior
Project Goal
Development of Web based GIS system for the spread of Fresh Water, while making
the system sustainable and research oriented through management of resources
applied and impact assessment tools and techniques.
METHODOLOGY
1) Requirements Gathering Phase
a) Meter Quick Bird Satellite Image (Area of concern)
0.6 meter Quick Bird Satellite Image (Area of concern)
b) Thematic Map (Area of concern)
This map has followings information:
Primary Feeder information
Secondary Feeder Information
Distribution Mains Information
Valves Information
2) Database Design Phase
Database design is the process of producing a detailed data model of a database.
this logical data model contains all the needed logical and physical design
choices and physical storage parameters needed to generate a design in a Data
Definition Language, which can then be used to create a database. A fully
attributed data model contains detailed attributes for each entity.
3) Processes
Georeference
To georeference something means to define its existence in physical space. That
is, establishing a relation between raster or vector images to map projections
or coordinate systems. This procedure is thus imperative to data modeling in the
field of geographic information systems (GIS) and other cartographic methods.
When data from different sources need to be combined and then used in a GIS
application, it becomes essential to have a common referencing system. This is
brought about by using various georeferencing techniques.
4) Spatial Data on Web
a) Mapguide Open Source
MapGuide Open Source is a web-based platform that enables users to quickly
develop and deploy web mapping applications and geospatial web services.
MapGuide features an interactive viewer that includes support for feature
selection, property inspection, map tips, and operations such as buffer, select
within, and measure. MapGuide includes an XML database for managing content, and
supports most popular geospatial file formats, databases, and standards.
b) Fusion
Fusion is part of Map Guide. Fusion handles the user interface between the
client and Map Guide. Fusion is a web-mapping application development framework
for MapGuide Open Source (MGOS). Fusion allows web designers and developers to
build rich mapping applications quickly and easily.
Using “widgets” that provide the interface functionality within Fusion’s modular
architecture; developers are able to add, remove, or modify functionality using
standard-compliant HTML and CSS. Fusion requires no proprietary browser
plug-ins, and it produces applications that work in all major browsers on
Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Fusion provides a flexible means of interacting with Map Guide Open Source (MGOS).
Using a growing suite of widgets, this modular-based system allows us to build
powerful, interactive AJAX applications quickly with minimal programming
experience. For applications requiring special functionality, Fusion provides an
extensible platform that allows we to develop own widgets.
Future Enhancements
The system will include following future enhancements:
a) This can apply to other colonies, housing schemes and any other urban area.
b) We can add customer complaint database by locating the spatial imagery.
c) Error Report can be added by using this project
d) Water Pressure can be determined between source and destination point.
e) Leakage finding in any place of the Conduit.
f) Similarly, system cab built for Sewerage System.
g) Customer billing system can also be generated.
h) Equipping the user with the analytical and statistical measurements tools and
techniques to infer accurately.
i) Providing remote access to authorized users of the system and sharing and
integration with other systems through well defined technical and business
rules.
j) Enabling the user to feel free while interacting with the system through
providing user friendly environment, such as graphical view of the project area
with geo-referenced low scale maps, identification of resources at single click
or efficient search mechanism.
k) The ability to develop the future plan for the user under specified
parameters.
l) Report generation and automatic chart generation representing the actual
situation of the community.
m) Automatic alert mechanism upon the over ageing of the physical system
resources. Thus they can be replaced on time and consumers will be protected
before any outbreak of water mixing related disease.
n) Automatic alert mechanism for the identification of resources that need to be
replaced which are not capable to regulate the capacity flow with increase in
demand and supply of water. Such resources or devices may be from both water
supply and sewerage point of view.
o) Automatic report generation for identification of budget allocated for future
extension Vs actual budget required for the allocation of new resources.
p) Automatic report generation for the evaluation of budget heads available for
the maintenance of the existing resources with reference to actual budget
required according to current rates and human resource finance.
q) Social impact report generation by providing social and health survey data.
r) Keeping track of frequently blockage points being reported from the community
regarding drainage. This is a very important aspect that must be identified to
prevent the spread of diseases if measurements are taken on time.
s) Making the existing sewers wider by recording the waste water levels at
different times annually. This spatial temporal feature of the system enabling
us to make necessary amendments in the sewer system to help us prevent waste
water blockage by widening of the blockage points. Hence enabling us to know
flow blockage of waste water in advance with reference to water supply demand
and alarming increase in population situation.
t) A single click on map will identify the resources being employed on that
particular point, complete information of resources and their age and pictorial
view of such resources on user screen.
u) User complaints can be accepted via Internet and recorded in database. This
information is necessary to identify the common problems of the community and
enable us to take remedial actions on time.
v) Track record of the diseases spread can be obtained upon the collection of
such records from the community health care centers. Thus frequently attacking
pathogens can be identified and remedial actions can be taken on time.
w) The social report of the community must accompanied with the in-house water
usage and treatments methods adopted by the inhabitants of the community and
water quality. This makes us capable that either the public awareness campaigns
need to be adopted by applying such statistics to well defined criteria in the
system.
x) Complete information of the underground resources and their properties can be
visualized in three dimensional views.
y) Community based information can be represented based on selective or
collective criteria. Such information can be compared with the statistics of any
other department and true picture of the current situation can be judged.
Conclusion
Water Supply can use GIS in conjunction with the source water assessments to
help protect the various water supply system. With an adequate database,
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can serve as a powerful analytic and
decision-making tool for water supply system. Furthermore, it can also be used
for management and to test consequences of development.