by Wallace J.A Inside Grenada correspondent Sunday November 05,2006
ST.GEORGE’S, Grenada – On Friday (November 03), the Agency for Reconstruction and Development (ARD) held a press conference to update members of the media about Grenada’s Re-mapping Project.
The ARD has been able to secure the professional services of TechMap (a US-based company) in the re-mapping of the island. The US company is expected to use a blue and white twin-engine Cessna 401 aircraft equipped with Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) technology. The re-mapping job is scheduled to commence on Monday November 06 and last for approximately two weeks.
The Cessna 401 aircraft will be flying over the island several times a day during the mapping exercise. The height will range from about 2000 to 7000 meters. Additionally, survey equipment will be installed at strategic elevations throughout the country to complement the aerial work.
The project is estimated to cost US$400,000. It is expected to yield a wide assortment of technical data which would be of invaluable assistance to Grenada in the future. It will help the Grenada Government to enhance the quality of physical development and lessen vulnerabilities, based on precise, wide-ranging and modern mapping data.
The last time an aerial survey was done in Grenada was in the 1970s. This means that a substantial portion of the information currently available for use is antiquated and is lacking in reliability and precision.
