Mr. Sumeet Jain will present his MDP presentation as per the details below:

Date: 10th July 2026

Time: 1200 – 1245 hrs.

Mode: Online

Meeting link:- 
Time zone: Asia/Kolkata
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/sni-cdvc-ubn

Title:- Role of GIS in enhancing urban governance and planning capacity of ULB: A case study of Nashik municipal corporation in the context of Kumbh Mela 2027 preparedness.

Guide: Prof. Pennan Chinnasamy

Examiner: Prof. G. N. Hariharan

Abstract:

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been increasingly mandated within India's urban governance reform architecture through the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT 2.0) and the Smart Cities Mission yet the institutional capacity of most Tier-2 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to deploy GIS as a functional planning and decision-support tool remains weak and poorly documented. This study examines GIS adoption and uses at Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) in the active context of Kumbh Mela 2027 preparedness, addressing the central research question: how is GIS being used in NMC's Kumbh 2027 planning, and what does the available spatial data reveal about infrastructure preparedness and planning gaps? A focused mixed-methods design was employed, combining GIS-based spatial analysis of eighteen NMC infrastructure layers organised into six categories across roads and parking, bridges, CCTV surveillance, communications and traffic management, emergency response, and environmental and flood sensing  with six key informant interviews purposively selected to cover decision-making, departmental implementation, and external technical capacity levels within NMC's Kumbh 2027 planning system. Spatial analysis was conducted in QGIS using GeoPackage files and forty-two Detailed Project Reports, applying buffer analysis, the QGIS Difference operation, overlay synthesis, and a composite multi-infrastructure convergence map. Interview data was analysed using the six-phase thematic analysis framework of Braun and Clarke (2006). Spatial analysis produces three overarching findings. First, a substantial and multi-category infrastructure programme is underway, with documented GIS coverage across all six infrastructure categories at the primary Kumbh event sites. Second, a consistent spatial pattern of central concentration with systematic underservice at approach corridors, outer parking zones, and peripheral wards is identified across all infrastructure categories. Third, four specific, spatially locatable gaps are identified: a CCTV blind spot at the primary Kumbh Site boundary, a communication infrastructure gap at the event perimeter, a sensor monitoring deficit at the primary ghat during the monsoon flood season, and a critical absolute provision gap in the emergency call box network across the full event geography.