Siliguri Polytechnic students launch open digital street map project

Siliguri: In an inspiring move, second-year students from the department of Computer Science and Technology at Siliguri Government Polytechnic College have embarked on an initiative to create an open digital street map for the city of Siliguri. This map will provide accurate and comprehensive details of even the most overlooked areas, such as remote slums and the hilly regions, that are often left out of commercial mapping services.

The project kicked off on Thursday in Ward 28 of Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC), with the students focused on mapping critical infrastructure including roads, lanes, houses, vegetation, water taps, and CCTV cameras.

The aim is to ensure that no area, regardless of its economic or geographic status, is omitted from digital maps. Currently, most commercial map services tend to prioritize economically significant locations, often neglecting the more remote or underdeveloped regions. As a result, residents in slums or hilly areas struggle with inaccurate or missing data on popular mapping platforms. Recognising this gap, the Siliguri Polytechnic students have taken it upon themselves to bridge this digital divide by creating an open street map that is accessible to everyone. Nilbrata Sanyal, a second-year student and one of the key contributors to the project, explained: “Our goal is to create an accurate and open source map that will help people navigate all parts of Siliguri, including the most remote corners of the city.”