As the Taskforce
on National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), suggested changes
in the existing map policy of the government, the ground is
now set for the NSDI to come into being. Also India will be
hosting the global conference on Geospatial Data Infrastructure
(GSDI) in February, 2004. All these initiatives will go a long
way in not only strengthening our national spatial data network
but also link us up with the global spatial data systems. This
information was given by the Minister for Human Resource Development
and Science & Technology Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi here last
evening while addressing a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative
Committee of the Ministry of Science & Technology. The establishment
of the NSDI will help facilitate wider availability of maps
and spatial-based imageries to a broad cross section of users,
he said.
Pointing out that
the taskforce underscored the need to speed up the process of
positioning the NSDI at the earliest, Dr. Joshi said this is
proposed to be done through an executive order in about four
months, after Cabinet approval. Substantial data would be available
within six months from the NSDI. However, a full-fledged and
fully equipped NSDI covering upto the village level would be
ready in three to five years.
Underlining the
importance of NSDI, Dr. Joshi said that for a knowledge enabled
society, geographic or geospatial information system is essential.
In fact, the use of high-quality reliable geospatial information
is critical to virtually every sphere of socio-economic activity
especially, agriculture, forestry, land management, water management,
infrastructural development, urban planning, disaster management
and to business geographics etc. He said most of the geospatial
data is scattered across largely in public sector organisations
following different standards and they need to be sufficiently
integrated and networked to make it really beneficial to a large
community of users. Internationally also, the spatial data sets
have to be integrated to create the GSDI. The NSDI and the GSDI
are complementary to information highways, linking a variety
of databases and providing for the information flow from local
to national levels and eventually to the global community, he
said.
Dr. Joshi also
disclosed that the Survey of India has begun a dual series of
maps, one set, classified as secret for security reasons and
the other development-based digital maps making them computer
compatible and open availability. With the availability of high-resolution
satellite images, data enabling for the Geospatial Information
System (GIS), becomes highly accurate and information loaded.
The taskforce has
already chalked out a strategy and an action plan for the establishment
of the NSDI. A draft bill for its formation is also ready. It
is estimated that the NSDI will ultimately entail an expenditure
of Rs. 1000/- to 2000/- crore. Since the NSDI will be a national
endeavour towards transparency and e-governance, a high-level
focus becomes essential. For this, a National Spatial Data Commission
(NSDC) under the Chairmanship of a Cabinet Minister is envisaged.
Dr. Joshi also
spoke of involving the children in a scheme called ‘Neighbourhood
Survey’, as evolved by the Survey of India. The Survey of India
has also come out with a vehicle navigation and tracking system
costing around 25,000 to 50,000 rupees. Very few countries in
the world will have full-fledged set up like the NSDI. With
powerful infrastructure like remote sensing etc., India will
become one of the active players in the formation of the geospatial
data infrastructure and hence is hosting the global meet.
Taking part in
the discussions, the committee members wanted Neighbourhood
Survey to be made a part of the curriculum. They suggested exercising
of caution while putting the maps and imageries on the web.
They agreed that NSDI is an essential ingredient for the creation
of a knowledge-based society. The MPs who attended include Shri
V. Radhakrishnan, Dr. A. R. Kidwai, Shri R R Pramanik, Shri
Birbhadra Singh and Shri Rajeshwar Murthy.
