INDIAN EXPERIENCE - TREND SETTER FOR
DEVELOPING NATIONS:
The various need based projects undertaken
using satellite based data are common to all
the developing nations. The experience gained
in India for effectively promoting remote
sensing virtually in all resources sectors can
be a trend setter for other developing nations.
The Indian experience amply demonstrates to
adopt the ways and means in which India has
benefitted utilising the remote sensing
technology for its national development while
updating the information base more accurately in
the desired scale of operation. The solution
specific problems and associated system packages
are available within Department of Space and can
be accessed on a mutually agreed bilateral
basis.
INDIAN EXPERTISE - OFFERINGS
With the successful launch of IRS 1A and IRS 1B
which are presently in orbit operationally
provide extremely good pictures of the land mass
with a combined repetitivity of 11 days
interval. The NRSA Data Centre (NDC) can
distribute the IRS data in two spatial
resolutions (73 and 36 metres) for all the needy
nations with in the visibility circle with
Hyderabad as centre point.
The Indian Institute of Remote Sensing which is
a professional training centre in remote sensing
offers training programmes for application
scientists belonging to various developing
nations. The course curricula comprises of
three months duration to one year diploma
courses.
National Remote Sensing Agency undertakes
consultancy projects on various application
areas using aerial and satellite data with the
available expertise. The consultancy projects
will be executed jointly by the users of
concerned nation and Department of Space,
Government of India.
With the experience gained so far for the last
decade several of the application areas have
been made operational through satellite/aerial
remote sensing. The Department of Space, is now
in a position to share with all the developing
nations the operational packages on a mutually
agreed basis. The operationally demonstrated
packages would certanly pave way for wide spread
applicability of remote sensing in all the
developing nations.
The system management aspect on the lines of
establishment of a national natural resources
management system for any developing nation may
suitably be suggested with the experience gained
in India in effective promotion of remote
sensing in an organised way in various resources
sectors. The functionalities and the modus
operandi on the reviewing mechanisms right from
bureaucratic levels to working level scientists
can suitably be designed with sound
understanding of the issues pertinent to the
nation.
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THRUST AREAS - GIS
The large data base generated in various
resources areas temporally is being fed into
Geographical Information System in a time series
mode in order to derive logical conclusions on
the development and dynamics of resource areas.
The information generated at various levels
sectorally by various organisations need a
integrated approach on consolidation and
formating on to a single information base in
order to develop National Resources Information
System (NRIS) in conjunction with other
collateral data preferably at the district
level. The concept of Geographical Information
System which in turn leading to National Natural
Resources Information System (NRIS) with a
provision of accessability, updating, retrieval
etc., is the ultimate goal of NNRMS to fructify
the timely information generated through remote
sensing and to put in use for planning purposes
at various levels.
The future remote sensing programmes of India
mainly concentrate on the utilization of
satellite based data in the region of middle
infrared bands and microwave data through use of
ERS-1 and air borne SAR data which is
indigenously developed. Over and above the
application of Digital Photogrammetry and
Cartography and its wide spread use for urban
and regional planning is intended to widen its
Scope through generation of ortho photos and to
gain experience with the future space programmes
on. the utilization of stereo scopic satellite
data for obtaining terrain information. India
is making a serious effort to generate Digital
Elevation Models (DEM) through use of Satellite
stereo data in obtaining reliable terrain
information.
India through its various international
collaborative projects pertaining to remote
sensing has made significant progress. The INDO-
FRG Collaborative Programmes have widened the
Scope of utilization of remote sensing data in
the areas of forestry, geology, oceanography,
hydrology and information systems.
INDIAN EXPERIENCE - STILL NEEDS IMPETUS
Several of the application areas have been made
operational through use of remote sensing data.
There is also a greater variety of indigenously
developed visual interpretation aids, PC based
Image | Processing Systems with a powerful
indigenously developed image analysis packages,
which have widescope for utilisation in the
international market. It no doubt, calls for a
aggressive marketing strategy. India having
maximally benefitted through use of remote
sensing data and developed various application
packages can help in transfer of technology with
appropriate modifications, where necessary to
all the developing nations.
CONCLUSIONS
The operational utilization of remote sensing
technology amply demonstrated and accepted by
all the user departments in India has lead to