8 
PAPER 
ON 
RATIONALISATION OF PHOTOGRAMMETRIC PRODUCTION OF MAPS 
"MACRO MODEL FOR A DEVELOPING COUNTRY" 
BY 
Lt.Colonel P.Misra 
B.Sc.,B.E.(Civil), M.Sc.(Geod.Sc)(USA), MBA(Ohio), MlS(lnd) 
Director, Survey Training Institute, Survey of India 
IIY DERA BA D—500974. 
INDIA 
Abstract 
The necessity for evolving a rational system of production of 
maps by photogrammetric processes is greatly felt in developing 
countries for sound planning and expeditious completion of nation 
al projects. Towards this need a system involving use of aerial 
photographs on two different scales is advocated, the smaller one 
for planimetry and the larger one for relief survey; the relief 
survey may be alternatively done by ground methods, if terrain 
and accuracy demand. This is expected to lead to reduction of both 
cost and time in production. 
INTRODUCTION 
Thi3 paper is a result of a case study of survey and map pro 
duction processes in the Survey of India and provides a realistic 
concept of objectives, constraints of manpower technology and en 
vironment to the suggested model. The reader may, therefore, weigh 
his observations in the light of conditions existing in India which, 
of course, will vary in some respects from those in any other coun 
try. At the same time, there may be areas of considerable similar 
ity between all the developing countries. 
It is a rather common and well accepted rule amongst engineers 
that any production process has to be cost-effective. The prepara 
tion of maps by photogrammetric process is no exception. The fact 
is that a major advantage of the production of maps by employing 
photogrammetric techniques is the saving in the cost which in 
creases as the scale becomes larger. However, any technique or a 
system based on some technique can be termed better only when it 
can stand the scientific tests for its betterness. The betterness 
has to be proved before investment in costly imported equipment 
(which is an important ingredient of the photogrammetric techni 
ques) is made. In survey/map production, this betterness can be 
seen in a rather simple manner. 
BETTERNESS OF TECHNIQUE 
In map production fields, it is imperative to achieve several 
objectives, for example, 
( Q) u a 1 i t y 
(Q) u a n t i t y 
(C) o s t