Q) The satellite imagery offers technologically an appropriate method for quick and reliable mapping and monitoring of various natural resources both in space and time domain. Discuss how Space-based Information Support for Decentralized Planning (SISDP) project helps in empowering governance of the Panchayati Raj Institutions. What are the objectives of SIS-DP? Mention how the Bhuvan Panchayat portal plays a key role in implementing SISDP and in strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions.
Answers:
Earth observation plays a key role in community driven management and acquires special importance in the context of decentralized planning. Observations of the Earth through Space-based Information Support for Decentralized Planning constitute critical input for advance understanding towards local planning by providing information, measurements and quantifications of natural or artificial phenomena.
Advantages of Space-based Information Support for Decentralized Planning:
- SIS-DP at Panchayat level is a national initiative of preparing basic spatial layers useful in the planning process at grass root levels.
- Decentralized Planning: The geo data base, products and services prepared under this project are disseminated through Bhuvan geo portal.
- It is possible for rural planners to plan and locate a healthcare unit, water harvesting, rural communication network even as they sit in panchayat offices.
- Empowering the Panchayats: The project addressed modalities and mechanisms that would be adopted to empower the local bodies
- High resolution space image based local tools will enable the panchayats with modern technology for sustainable development.
- Technology and Governance: The Panchayati Raj institutions could effectively use space technology for planning, implementation, monitoring and management of resources, including governance.
- Digital India: It can also prove to be an important component for “Digital India” platform for reaching digital thematic maps to about 2.56 Lakh Gram panchayats in the country.
- It helps in utilizing the space technology in the form of simple-to-use maps
- It provide location based services through Navigation in Indian Constellation (NavIC)
- The updated SIS-DP will provide value added geospatial products and services to aid Gram Panchayat development planning process
Objectives of SISDP
- To generate and provide ‘Satellite Image Maps’ for the entire country as a base for decentralized planning.
- To prepare thematic & base layers on 1:10000 scale using ‘Satellite Image Maps’, slope classes maps and Cadastral maps vectorization & geo-referencing
- To create a data bank comprising ‘Satellite Image Maps’, thematic and base maps, slope class maps; and organize census data, climate data, cadastral maps, stakeholder’s data and available legacy thematic & base data on the GIS platform.
- To develop comprehensive web portal as per PRIs & stakeholders needs for decentralized planning, governance, outreach to the citizens and data dissemination.
- To build Capacity of PRIs & stakeholders for the use of Space Based Information in Decentralized planning and governance.
Role of Bhuvan Panchayat portal:
- Bhuvan geo portal is an easy tool for database visualization, data analytics etc. for the benefit of Gram Panchayat members and other stakeholders.
- It facilitates decentralized planning at grass root level.
- It is meant to provide geo-spatial services to aid the gram panchayat development planning process of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
- The targeted audiences for this portal are Public, PRIs and different stakeholders belonging to the gram panchayats.
- The portal uses high-resolution data from recent earth observation satellites and offers detailed information to panchayats about their key assets.
- The portal is available in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
- Bhuvan, as a platform, is open and can be used by a diverse user community such as Central and State Governments Departments, Academia and Industry.
The illustration through GIS is an innovative approach for planning process and strategy for economic development, disaster management and human welfare as the same datasets could be used for all tiers of integrated decentralized planning by data aggregation at different scales.