“The technology can prove highly beneficial for Planning and Development Department to formulate plans and schemes as per ground realities”, he added.
The Chief Minister visited the Department of Environment and Remote Sensing at Bemina near here and took power point presentation of the functioning and achievements of the department. The Minister for Forests, Mian Altaf Ahmad, Chief Minister’s Political Advisor, Devender Singh Rana and Principal Secretary, Khurshid Ahmad Ganai were accompanying the Chief Minister.
Omar Abdullah said that Remote Sensing and Geo-Informatics programmes can contribute in a big way to solve various problems. “It can enhance the capability of surveying and monitoring the natural resources at low cost and at high speed. The space application programmes can prove as a highly effective mechanism to identify villages and areas requiring government attention in public service delivery system and providing basic facilities in the sectors of education, health, water supply, road connectivity and electrification”, he maintained.
Omar said that remote sensing could be utilized for creating data regarding urban planning, agriculture yield forecasting, forest cover monitoring, environmental impact assessment, monitoring of water bodies, mapping of high altitudinal eco-tourism sites, wild animal habitat suitability, forest fire risk zonation and development of road network data base.
The Chief Minister said Government would take all measures to strengthen the Directorate of Environment and Remote Sensing to take best advantage of the modern space technology in the process of development and planning and ensuring good governance in the State.
Omar asked the Directorate to prepare pilot projects for Planning and Development Department for comprehensive strategy to broad base and universalize facilities in the sectors of education, health, PHE and road connectivity. “Remote Sensing technology can also be utilized in the conservation and reclamation of forest wealth and scientific planning of urban areas”, he said and asked the Department to make necessary projects for this purpose also. He said individual departments like LAWDA, Revenue, Housing and Urban Development, R&B, Public Health Engineering etc. could also take advantage of the remote sensing technology in finding out solution to various problems and addressing people’s grievances.
In the power point presentation, a detailed resume of the activities of Department of Remote Sensing was highlighted by the scientists of the Department. It was stated that Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has provided many projects to the Department while State Government has assigned the projects pertaining various subjects. It was further stated that the Department has completed 35 projects and 9 projects are under completion while 6 more projects are in the pipeline.
Later, the Chief Minister interacted with a deputation of general public there who presented him a memorandum of demands pertaining to the upgradation of drainage system in the area. The Chief Minister directed the Deputy Commissioner,
Leave Your Comments