Mumbai Port Authority to deploy Rs 5.2 crore AI system to detect encroachments
On June 26, the Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA) announced the deployment of a Rs 5.2 crore artificial intelligence (AI)-powered land-use monitoring system to detect encroachments and unauthorized construction across its estate in Mumbai, including holdings at Wadala Estate. The digital initiative is designed to strengthen surveillance and improve governance over the port's nearly 89 square kilometer estate.
The new system will utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) tools to analyze high-resolution satellite imagery, survey data, and geospatial information. This technology will automatically identify unauthorized construction and changes in land use, allowing the port authority to intervene before encroachments become permanent.
According to MbPA officials, the platform will be built using 15 years of archival satellite imagery. Once deployed, it will continuously monitor land parcels for the next five years, receiving monthly satellite updates to track any changes on the ground.
In addition to AI-powered analytics, the project includes the development of a geoportal, a mobile application, cloud infrastructure, digital elevation models, and Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) surveys to support comprehensive land management.
The port authority expects the system to significantly improve governance by providing accurate, real-time land-use information. This will enable data-driven decision-making and support the sustainable management of the authority's extensive land assets.
This digital project forms part of the port's broader strategy to maximize returns from its real estate portfolio. Alongside the monitoring system, MbPA's asset monetization program includes three major long-term land lease projects expected to generate an estimated Rs 947.91 crore in revenue over a 30-year period.
Among these is a proposed 30-year lease of a 6,664.3 square meter plot near the HPCL Guest House at Wadala Estate. This parcel is expected to generate nearly Rs 302 crore during the lease period, translating into an annual revenue of around Rs 7.45 crore. MbPA has also proposed leasing a triangular plot at Wadala Estate on a 30-year tenure, which is expected to yield approximately Rs 148 crore over the lease period through annual earnings of about Rs 3.64 crore.
Additionally, a fresh 30-year lease of the former TOMCO hazardous-liquid storage plot near VVF Ltd, spread across 12,670 square meters, is projected to fetch around Rs 498 crore over three decades through an annual lease rental of about Rs 12.27 crore.
Port officials stated that these initiatives are intended to modernize Mumbai Port's operations, improve the utilization of its land assets, and create new avenues for economic activity along the city's eastern waterfront.
