While heritage-related technology news has lately foccused
on the use of imaging and remote sensing to preserve world heritage sites - if
only virtually - that are threatened by the iconoclasts of so-called Islamic
State and their ilk, India's Ministry of Tourism has enlisted technology in its
longstanding fight against litterbugs.
The Times of India reported this week on the launch of a
smart phone app that will allow users to take photos of graffiti, garbage and
other "violations" and upload them to a "control room"
manned by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), whose mandate include
upkeep of monuments.
The app will initially focus on 25 monuments, including
world heritage sites such as the Red Fort, Qutub Minar and Taj Mahal.
Hopefully the Ministry of Tourism will undertake an evaluation
of the app's effectiveness. While I suspect the impact of
"crowdsourcing" public services is often overrated, this app may just
appeal to smart phone users who seem never to miss an opportunity to pull out
their device.
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