Narayan, L.R.A.
INDIAN SCENARIO IN THE APPLICATION OF GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM
AND GEO-INFORMATICS
Prof. (Dr) L.R.A. NARAYAN
M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation
Distinguished Fellow and Consultant
Third Cross Street, Taramani
Chennai — 600 113, INDIA
driran@md4.vsnl.net.in
Working Group VII/2
KEY WORDS: Applications, Mapping, GIS, GPS, Integration, Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, Scale-space
spatial databases.
ABSTRACT
The usefulness and importance in the application of Geographical Information System (GIS) is well understood in
India and is being further developed for use by a larger community sector. With the rapid stride India has made
during the last two decades by launching its own land resources satellites, like Indian Remote Sensing Satellite
(IRS) — 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D, data from these have been well received by international community and perhaps
used extensively all over the world. The Indian Remote Sensing Communities are exposing the State of the art
situation of various natural resources very effectively, and adding a touch of the socio-economic data also
incorporated in the form of G.LS. based on the 1:50,000 scale topographical maps that are available. The
intensity of information and the positional accuracy needed with a large scale, cartographic database is still not
well understood for integrating all data more purposefully. While Satellite Remote Sensed data is easily available
at a price, by any one who needs it, aerial photographs are not easily made available to all private individuals. It
must also be understood that creating an accurate cartographic database decides the final accuracy of G.I.S.
operation and solutions arrived at.
The gist is, recognition of the importance of (1) Using Aerial photographic techniques for map making for
producing accurate large scale cartographic database, which as of now cannot be expected to be produced by
satellite data, for some more years to come, (2) Appreciate that Remote Sensing is only a descriptive technology
and it cannot by itself prescribe solutions, (3) Closer linkage and discussion with the society who can use them
has to be intensified with capacity to teach them ‘do how’ rather than ‘know how’, (4) Adapt to facilitate its
detailed usage for precision agriculture, detailed urban facility management and produce information with a view
to solve specific problems, and (5) We should realize that it is necessary to recognize the strengths and short
coming of each technology as most of them are complementary.
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1
Usage of Geographical Information System for various uses and Applications, such as management and optimal
use of natural resources is well recognized in India. There are several organizations who have been using the
standard GIS software, such as Arc-Info, Map-Info, Illwis, and other similar ones besides developing specific
ones needed for certain uses in projects. This development is the accelerated due to Satellite Remote Sensing
data availability during the last two decades and particularly so, after the launch of various Indian Remote
Sensing Satellites (IRS) such as IRS 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D. Data from IRS 1C and 1D have been very well received
world over as its Panchromatic data at a spatial resolution of 5.8 meters and its steerability in space to providing
over - lapping pairs, such as in the case of French SPOT Satellite system, made it particularly useful, being the
best of its kind. In addition data from these two satellite are also received for world wide distribution by USA
with whom India had special contracts. These two satellites had the facility of on board tape recording for very
special needs and detailed description of the various wave bands have already been published in the ISPRS
congress in 1996, which can be found in the Archives, as such these are not being detailed out here.
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International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXIII, Part B7. Amsterdam 2000.
