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geospatial 2013 www.geospatialtoday.com

TODAY

ISSN 0972-6810

Removing regional disparities

The UP government is on a mission to remove gaps in decentralised planning, promoting sustainable and equitable development at the village, block and district panchayat levels. To power this initiative Integrated SPIDER and e-MANCHITRA Geo Portals have been developed to provide up-todate and real-time data to planners, administrators and public representatives, marking a move from e-governance to g-governance.

CONTENTS

VOLUME 12 ISSUE 03

02 NEWS

Editorial advisory board

12 Removing regional disparities

Jack Dangermond Founder and President, Esri

The UP government is on a mission to remove gaps in decentralised planning, promoting sustainable and equitable development at the village, block and district panchayat levels. To power this initiative Integrated SPIDER and e-MANCHITRA Geo Portals have been developed to provide up-to-date and real-time data to planners, administrators and public representatives

Dr Shailesh R Nayak Secretary, Min of Earth Sciences Maj Gen (Dr) R Siva Kumar CEO-NSDI, Head - NRDMS

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M Moni Deputy Director General, National Informatics Centre, Government of India

COVER STORY

Rajesh C Mathur Vice Chairman, ESRI India

28 Promoting sustainable management of natural resources

Dr Mukund Rao Consultant (National GIS), Planning Commission

Climate change, alterations in regional food production cycles and growing population call for sustainable management of natural resources and increasing food security. Using geospatial technologies the European Space agency has initiated projects in parts of Africa and Siberia for monitoring and supporting agricultural production and optimum land use

Dr R Nagaraja Group Head, NDC, NRSC

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Geoenabling e-governance

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32 Providing efficient transport

Dr N L Sarda Prof. Computer Science & Engineering Department, IIT Bombay

Optimising land use

With growing population the pressure on transport infrastructure is on the rise. The Taiwanese Ministry of Transportation and Communications has developed a transportation decision support system for guiding policy makers in shaping up the transportation infrastructure to accommodate the rise in traffic

COLUMN

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Lowell Ballard

Director of Geospatial Solutions, Timmons Group

geospatial TODAY

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News

Enabling effective public service delivery

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am Pitroda, Advisor to Prime Minister on Infrastructure, has revealed that a national-level project involving Geographical Information System (GIS), aimed at helping the government deliver public services more effectively, will soon be taken to the Cabinet. The project will involve an

investment of about `12,00013,000 crore and will help in effective delivery of public services. The project will help in developing applications related to engineering, planning, management, transport/logistics, insurance, telecom and location-based services. As a part of this initiative, Pitroda revaealed,

the government has already taken various steps like providing connectivity to all the 2.5 lakh panchayats through optical fibre, creating multiple platforms for delivery of services. Series of mission mode projects have also been launched to provide people easier access to public services. The National Knowledge Network has been developed to connect universities, colleges, laboratories and industrial clusters at a cost of about `15,000 crore. It will promote collaborative research in a big way in the days to come. The government is further spending close to `100,000 crore on building the public information infrastructure in the country.

Bentley’s new powerful navigator mobile app for iPad

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entley Systems, Incorporated, the leading company dedicated to providing comprehensive software solutions for sustaining infrastructure, announced the immediate availability of a new Navigator Mobile app for iPad which provides unrivalled review of 3D models on iPad, and next-generation Bentley i-models – which serve as containers for open infrastructure information exchange. Navigator Mobile enables construction workers in the field, architects and engineers on the move, and other project stakeholders to navigate – online or offline –

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i-models use the SQLite Construction workers can software library to deliver now access engineering data on-the-move. unmatched performance on virtually all mobile devices. Harry Vitelli, Bentley vice 3D architecture, engineering, president, construction and and construction models field products, said, “Our intuitively and fully using first generation of i-models i-models, as well as to browse had all of the functional a broad range of project requirements nailed: documents in various formats. provenance, engineering precision, self-description, The app’s ability to offer and portability. And they also users superior 3D model could normalize AEC data for scale and fidelity for accessibility through office dynamic review on mobile technologies and enterprise devices is enabled by its use connections.” of i-models that can now package together 3D models and related documents for use on mobile devices. These new-generation

“Our next generation advances the technology underlying an i-model with the power of SQLite.”

Supergeo releases SuperGIS Server 3.1a

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upergeo Technologies, the leading global provider of complete GIS software and solutions, releases SuperGIS Server 3.1a Value Edition and Standard Edition globally. Designed to create, manage, integrate and publish various types of GIS services, SuperGIS Server 3.1a integrates all types of spatial data, images, and GIS functions with desktop, mobile, and Web applications over the Internet, assisting enterprises in building ideal workflow and improving productivity in making decisions. The newest SuperGIS Server 3.1a features geoprocessing service publishing functions and enhances the efficiency of map cache tools. Not only performing all the functionality offered by value edition, the Standard Edition additionally provides developers with Mobile SDK to customize mobile applications which can access SuperGIS Server services and meet enterprise requirements. SuperGIS Server 3.1a Standard edition supports to work with diverse analysts, allowing enterprises to publish more comprehensive analysis functions to reduce cost of data duplication and storage. In addition, a variety of sample descriptions and sample codes of diverse themes are available on SGDN website to help developers customize map webs easily. Therefore, developers can effortlessly create their own mapping applications and increase GIS capabilities to existing applications.

Esri and Geofeedia expand social media with location analytics

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sri and Geofeedia announced plans to extend the ArcGIS platform with Geofeedia’s innovative social media tools. Public safety professionals will be able to take advantage of these capabilities to accurately integrate, monitor, analyze, and visualize live emergency data as events unfold. Deploying assets and personnel, understanding of events on the ground, adjusting response on the fly, and post-event monitoring are all improved using social media combined with location analytics.

media feeds from Geofeedia,” says Phil Harris, CEO of Geofeedia. “Location-based social media data layers from Geofeedia combined with Esri’s technology and vast repository of other layers give public safety officials the best combination of real-time intelligence for response efforts.” “Geofeedia is an innovator in location-based social media,” says Ryan Lanclos, emergency management manager, Esri. “Both organisations recognized that understanding location provides context

and value to social media. Ultimately, this improves meeting mission demands.” “Esri is an industry leader and provides the ideal enterprise platform to visualize and analyze real-time social

Hexagon acquires MANFRA, strengthens presence in South America

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exagon AB, leading global provider of design, measurement and visualisation solutions, has acquired all shares in MANFRA, the Brazil-based distributor of Leica Geosystems products for nearly 30 years. In addition to the company’s partnership with Leica Geosystems, MANFRA is also the developer of Posição topography software for the surveying sector. Founded in 1978 in Curitiba, MANFRA serves the

The acquisition of MANFRA will help Hexagon in expanding its market share in South America. surveying and engineering, construction, mining and agriculture industries, primarily in the south and west Brazilian markets. “MANFRA’s strong installed base in the Brazilian territory and expanded footprint across the region strengthens our

penetration in this emerging market,” said Hexagon President and CEO Ola Rollén. “In addition to increased distribution capabilities in the whole of South America, we look forward to the unique application knowledge and products the MANFRA acquisition brings to the Hexagon family. Both will help add value to our solutions and better serve the evolving needs of the local customer base.”

Esri teams up with OSIsoft

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SIsoft, producer of the PI System, the leading operational data infrastructure for real-time data and events, has partnered with Esri, the global leader in geographic information systems (GIS), to execute on the vision of real-time GIS. “Maps are a fundamental way in which we

communicate information. They tell us where things are. By bringing together ArcGIS and the PI System, customers will not only know where things are but what they are doing in real time,” says Jack Dangermond, President of Esri. “By displaying real-time and historical information on a

map, our customers will unlock opportunities in their data not previously visible.” OSIsoft and Esri aim to bring out of the box integration between the PI System and ArcGIS, enabling a platform for real-time GIS as well as seamless backoffice integration between operational data management

The real-time data integration, searching and streaming will work across multiple social media platforms.

Google’s new tool to prevent deforestation

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oogle, in collaboration with the University of Maryland and the UN Environment Programme, has developed Global Forest Watch 2.0 – a tool to help prevent deforestation. Global Forest Watch 2.0 is expected to be launched later this year, and is an interactive, real-time, forest monitoring system. It uses satellite technology, data sharing and human networks around the world to provide information to better managing forests. This tool will be particularly helpful to those countries in the world that lack resources for forest conservation. and GIS. “This partnership will bring significant value to our mutual customers, allowing them to visualize and analyze their operations geographically in realtime at unprecedented levels of detail and scale,” says Dr J Patrick Kennedy, CEO and Founder of OSIsoft. may 2013 geospatial TODAY | 03

News

IIT Roorkee prepares project plan for cleaning Yamuna

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n December last year, the Supreme Court of India had asked the directors of IIT Delhi and Roorkee to prepare a new project plan for cleaning the Yamuna. Responding to which the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee had sought six months time and `2 crore as consultancy charges to prepare a complete plan for the restoration of Yamuna river. Following the SC order, the Ministry of Environment and Forest had constituted a

consultancy charges. In its conceptual plan, IIT Roorkee has suggested construction of a parallel drain along the right bank of river Yamuna from Wazirabad barrage to Okhla barrage joining the Agra canal.

committee for the purpose. IIT Roorkee submitted a conceptual plan to clean the river to the ministry, and the

Ministry has submitted the plan before SC along with an affidavit informing the court about IIT’s demand for

This drain shall intercept effluents from all the drains and divert to Agra canal directly after due treatment. As per the plan, the envisaged parallel drain will also be equipped to release storm water during the monsoon.

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Ordnance Survey launches OS MasterMap Sites Layer

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rdnance Survey’s flagship, and world renowned dataset, OS MasterMap, has received an upgrade with the launch of a new layer, OS MasterMap Sites Layer. The new product will work alongside the existing layers providing users with an intelligent dataset to underpin decision making and data analytics. OS MasterMap Sites Layer is a nationally maintained dataset that maps the detailed extent of important locations such as airports, schools, hospitals, ports, utility and infrastructure sites and more. The points of access into these sites from the nearest road network are also provided. Each site is representation of what people see in the real world, where the common view of something is not the address, the main building or the surrounding land, but is a combination of the overall extent of a site or asset.


The new OS MasterMap Sites Layer provides users with more insightful data for better decision making. For example, the extent of a school is most commonly made up of buildings, playing fields and associated car parks. The new OS MasterMap Sites Layer provides customers with an easy way to identify an extent that includes all the real-world features that form part of the function of that school. OS MasterMap Sites Layer has three feature types: Functional Sites, Access Points and Routing Points. This initial release of OS MasterMap Sites Layer focuses on sites in the following themes: Air Transport, Education, Medical Care, Rail Transport, Road Transport, Water Transport, Utility and Industrial.

Bentley releases OpenRoads technology across InRoads, GEOPAK, MXROAD, and PowerCivil products

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entley Systems, Incorporated, the leading company dedicated to providing comprehensive software solutions for sustaining infrastructure, announced the immediate availability of the V8i (SELECTseries 3) releases of its InRoads, GEOPAK, and MXROAD products, and the forthcoming SELECTseries 3 releases of its countryspecific PowerCivil products throughout 2013. All of the products now share the powerful and unifying capabilities of Bentley’s OpenRoads technology, advancing through information modeling for multi-disciplinary roadway teams “BIM” objectives such as better design decisions, increased construction awareness, and interoperability for asset management. As a SELECTseries upgrade, OpenRoads technology

uniquely provides a nondisruptive path to achieving these objectives while preserving users’ investments in their existing civil engineering software, including previous releases of InRoads, GEOPAK, MXROAD, and countryspecific PowerCivil. Moreover, it adheres to established required organisational standards for drawing, engineering specifications, engineering computations, and roadway design within – and, in the case of consultants, for – the numerous major civil owneroperators who have adopted and invested in Bentley’s software. OpenRoads technology provides the common workflow, data structure, and modeling tools that civil engineering organisations need to meet today’s information modeling and accelerated project delivery requirements.

ICIMOD and MoFSC launch near real-time forest fire alert system

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n operational remote sensing-based forest fire detection and monitoring

system for Nepal has been launched by the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation

(MoFSC) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). The system, which was piloted in Nepal over the last year, uses active fire data generated by ICIMOD’s MODIS receiving station for near real-time detection of forest fires. The system is also equipped with an automated alert system, which sends email and SMS notifications to subscribers, including district forest officers and focal persons of the Federation of Community Forestry Users in all 75 districts.

Scottish public sector organisations continue to benefit from new mapping agreement

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ublic sector organisations in Scotland will continue to have access to Ordnance Survey mapping data following an agreement between the Scottish Government and Ordnance Survey to renew the One Scotland Mapping Agreement (OSMA). The new agreement, which went live on 1 April 2013, means that local and central government organisations, as well as Scottish NHS members, can continue to benefit from being part of a single agreement for Ordnance Survey data. The

data sharing.John Kimmance, The renewal of OSMA will Ordnance Survey Director of enable Scottish public sector organisations to Sales and Market Development, better deliver services. said: “The OSMA represents an excellent example of cooperation between Scottish popular OSMA was established Government and Ordnance in 2010, and is now being Survey, offering a wide used by 112 Scottish public range of mapping data to its sector organisations. Thanks members. Over the last four to the agreement, users years the OSMA has delivered a are able to access a diverse common framework for joining range of Ordnance Survey up government policy and datasets which have become services for the citizen, reduced an essential tool in delivering duplications and given public public services, underpinning sector organisations the ability decision making, driving cost to make informed decisions.” savings and enabling greater

SuperSurv 3.1 provides Android users with an Italian interface

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upergeo Technologies, the leading global provider of complete GIS software and solutions, announced that SuperSurv 3.1, the latest mobile GIS application for Android devices, offers an Italian interface. Integrating with GIS and GPS technologies,

SuperSurv 3.1 allows field surveyors to complete measurement and field data collection. The mobile GIS software supports global coordinate system settings and common vector layer file in GEO or SHP formats, helping surveyors effectively

conduct surveys. In addition to providing the Italian speaking users with a more friendly manipulation interface, SuperSurv 3.1 can access SuperGIS Server map services, enabling enterprises to use map service as basemap on Android devices. Enterprises

The system is the first of its kind in the region, and ICIMOD is planning to implement similar systems in other countries of the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. During the launch of the forest fire alert system, Dr KC Poudel, Secretary of MoFSC, emphasized on the need to develop forest adaptation strategies under changing climate scenarios that evaluate available mitigation and adaptation options and identify policies and instruments to support adaptation.

Getmapping’s new office in Centurion

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s part of its continued expansion into Africa, Geosense, Getmapping’s wholly owned subsidiary in South Africa, has opened a new office in Centurion. The office will be the new centre of flight operations and the focus of the company’s extensive LiDAR capability. Getmapping now has three offices in Africa - Cape Town, Centurion and Nairobi. The company has built up extensive LiDAR capabilities in South Africa to complement existing large format digital camera capabilities and provide full survey service to customers.

can save the cost and increase operational productivity without duplicating and storing a variety of map files. SuperSurv 3.1 will support to edit SuperGIS Server feature service. Field surveyors will be able to synchronize survey results in SuperGIS Server to achieve more ideal workflows. may 2013 geospatial TODAY | 05

News

CritterMap software releases Backcountry Navigator Pro Pro offers map choices for the locations that interest you. View and download topographic maps, color aerial maps, open street maps, and more for anywhere in the US and Canada.

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ritterMap software, maker of the Android GPS application BackCountry Navigator, brings you a chance

to explore your world beyond the limits of roads and cell coverage. Wherever you’re going, Backcountry Navigator

Satellite imagery helps fight locust plagues in North Africa

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MC International Imaging (DMCii) is helping The Algerian Space Agency (ASAL) to predict the spread of locust plagues across North Africa as part of a proactive approach to tackle the destructive phenomenon using satellite imagery. Every year, North Africa is subjected to locust plagues that threaten to decimate crops and endanger the regions food security. The satellite imagery is used to assess vegetation conditions, which helps to predict the locations of locust breeding grounds. The imagery, from the UK-DMC2 satellite, is used in conjunction with weather data to help create locust forecasts and focus the application of pesticides to prevent the spread of swarms. Last year, in a six-month summer campaign to fight the spread of locusts, DMCii acquired monthly images of 06 | geospatial TODAY may 2013

regions in Southern Algeria, Northern Mali and Northern Niger for ASAL. Now, imagery is being acquired before the summer season starts, to predict as well as monitor the threat of locusts. Mr Karim Houari, International Cooperation Director of the Algerian Space Agency commented, “The use of satellite imagery has helped us in the past, during the invasion period, to identify and control areas at risk of locust swarms. This year, in terms of locust risk prediction in remission period, we used DMCii data for the ecological assessment of locust breeding areas (biotopes). It is an important contribution for the rationalisation of local response and to reduce damage of this destructive phenomenon to the agricultural produce of the region.”

To find a map for any location using Backcountry Navigator Pro, tap your phone’s menu button and then tap the Maps option. View the available map options for each location category: Worldwide, US and Canada, Southern Europe, Western Europe, Central Europe, Oceania, and

Microsoft Research Maps. While traveling within your mobile network or with Wi-Fi access, downloading a map isn’t necessary. Maps are displayed on your device from the Internet as long as you have the Preview Enabled box checked. Backcountry Navigator Pro allows you to download free maps and save them on your SD card, making them accessible even when your mobile signals are off. This is ideal for backcountry activities or for travel in foreign countries where you’ll disable your data or lack cell coverage.

IGN France International announces new shareholders

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GN France International, a key player in the fields of mapping and geographic information, has changed shareholding. On March 29, the companies group FIT, IMAO and group ALTEREO joined IGN France International capital. IGN (Institut Géographique National) – the national institute of geographic and forest information of France – remains the majority shareholder, and the companies Esri International and Esri France, renewed their confidence in IGN France International.

of its external experts’ networks. Its ability to disseminate the IGN quality label, recognized in France and abroad as an indisputable reference in the sector of institutional cartography, and to transfer its skills to its clients, represent significant assets.

IGN France International offers technical expertise for elaboration, supervision and the management of geomatic projects. Its strength is based on its technical expertise, on the know-how of its internal teams and on the quality

The IGN France International brand image combined with its international representatives’ networks, encouraged the companies Groupe FIT, IMAO, and Altereo, to join the IGN France International.

Group FIT, IMAO and group ALTEREO are the new share holders in IGN France International’s capital. IGN France retains its majority share.

Taipei city fire department gets incident command GIS system

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upergeo has helped the Taipei City Fire Department develop a GIS system to ensure greater spatial data integration and distribution for effective fire prevention, disaster relief and emergency rescue and care. The advances in technology provide more capability for firemen to protect life and property. As the country’s first Level-1 fire authority established by a local government, the Taipei City Fire Department contains five divisions which are responsible for the effective implementation of fire prevention, disaster relief and emergency rescue, emergency care. To improve disaster response and stimulate the

SuperGIS technologies to assist emergency personnel in viewing and querying maps and transmitting integrated information of each district in Taipei. Consequently, commanders can obtain real-time disaster information to make prompt decisions for future rescue operations. integration of disaster rescue information of districts, the agency developed a Server-based GIS system to provide commanders and emergency personnel with dynamic data to effectively respond to events and conduct rescue command tasks such as preparation of disaster

Graebert GmBH, CAD provider enters Indian market

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raebert GmBH, a Graebert enters the indian Computer-aided-design market with its ARES (CAD) software provider Commander Edition line of marked its debut in the Indian CAD software. market with the release of its ARES Commander Edition line is available in 13 languages. of CAD software products. The products will be marketed Announcing the company’s by Graebert India Software entry into the Indian market, Pvt Ltd. The company has an Wilfred Graebert, CEO installed base of over 4 million of Graebert said, “Large users of ARES technology in scale investments in the 180 countries and has over 30 infrastructure and automotive years of technology expertise, sectors have resulted in ever project management, and increasing requirements for consulting experience. full featured, affordable CAD Graebert’s CAD software was software in India. the first to support all three major operating systems— Although Graebert is just Windows, Mac, and Linux. The being launched in India, their company develops software products are already being for both desktop and handused in educational institutes held mobile devices. ARES including IIT Delhi and IIT Commander Edition software Kharagpur.”

rescue information, tactics deployment, and safety management. In an effort to satisfy the disaster rescue requirements of diverse map display, the Incident Command GIS System integrates and publishes various types of spatial data and offers front-end applications using

Using GIS, the agency has built an information system for providing and integrating disaster rescue data relating to emergency dispatch, rescue timing and sequence management for consequence rescue deployment. Rescue commander can log on to the system to identify the disaster location.

Siemens and Bentley extend collaboration to the process industry

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iemens and Bentley Systems announced that they are stepping up their strategic collaboration, focusing on the process industry sector in fields such as chemicals, energy, pharmaceuticals, and oil and gas. Both companies are targeting increased interoperability between the Comos engineering software solution from Siemens and Bentley’s OpenPlant 2D/3D system for plant design and construction. One of the aims envisaged by the collaboration is for both companies to work jointly on a system that will allow the capture, exchange and further utilisation of data and information spanning

the entire plant lifecycle, from engineering through to plant operations across all disciplines. Along with a cohesive connection between Comos and OpenPlant, this collaboration also seeks to afford users access to supplementary disciplines supported by the Bentley portfolio such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), construction simulation, cable and raceway management, conveying technology, steel construction and laser scanning. The interoperability of Comos with Bentley’s open 3D system OpenPlant will generate exciting new potential for users.

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News

Share your adventures with new version of OS MapFinder

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rdnance Survey has unveiled the first big update of its popular OS MapFinder app, adding several new features

and enhancements. The latest version of OS MapFinder includes new advanced sharing options, greater social media integration and the ability to sync routes between iOS devices. Other usability enhancements include map grid optimisation and improved direction pointer features. OS MapFinder was launched on January 10, 2013 and has already become a popular mapping app amongst both outdoor enthusiasts and people looking to explore more of Great Britain. Over the last two and a half months Ordnance Survey has been listening to customer

feedback and the app team has developed several new enhancements, which have been included in the latest version. One of the main areas of feedback focussed on route sharing and the integration between OS MapFinder and Ordnance Survey’s established online leisure portal – OS getamap. The new version has been developed to allow users to both export and import routes via email and URL. The upgrade now opens the door for users, of both OS MapFinder and OS getamap, to share GPX route files between platforms.

Overwatch enhances ELT® Geo Intelligence software’s user interface

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verwatch, an operating unit of Textron Systems, announced the latest release of its ELT® geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) software, featuring a new intuitive and customizable user interface. ELT, which fuses image processing functionality with geographic information systems support, is used by analysts for military intelligence, mission planning and disaster management.

BAE Systems bags $20 million contract from US Navy

National security driving GIS market growth

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he US Navy has awarded The LiDAR system will BAE Systems a contract increase the safety of to develop a prototype Navy officials moving from light detection and ranging ship to shore and back. (LIDAR) system to locate mines in near-shore waters. of Naval Research (ONR) The contract is valued at to mature the technologies $20 million. As part of a and capabilities to meet the wider development called Navy’s mine countermeasures the Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis needs on an accelerated timeline.” (COBRA) program, the airborne system will provide The technology involved round-the-clock protection to is being developed under Navy personnel as they move Section 819 of the National from ship to shore and back Defense Authorization again. Reid Noguchi, general Act, which is aimed at the manager of BAE Systems development of advanced Spectral Solutions said, components or prototypes. “Having conducted extensive According to Brian Almquist, research and development in program officer in the ONR advanced sensors, airborne Ocean Battlespace Sensing prototype systems, and Department, that law helps to sophisticated real-time reduce acquisition costs while software, BAE Systems has delivering of technology to worked closely with the Office the US Naval fleet.


se of geospatial technology in the government sector is on the rise as the technology has emerged as a key enabler in collecting and analysing location-based information. The technology has quickly become the backbone for US national security – a key driver of the technology’s growth. One forecast estimates a compound annual growth rate of 11 per cent from 2011 to 2015 and it’s a trend that offers significant career opportunities for professionals with a GIS master’s degree. According to Dr Stephen McElroy, GIS program chair for American Sentinel University, “Much of the work in GIS related to homeland security involves data synthesis, exploratory data analysis and scenario modeling efforts to

produce optimal routes that minimize risk by identifying emerging patterns and trends in the data.” Geographic Information System technology can quickly render one to several layers of digital geospatial data – such as the movement of people, location of potential targets, identification of key natural resources – into map-like products for a wide range of relevant geospatial analyses. The government relies on these systems and technology professionals who know how to use them to access and process digital geospatial data virtually anywhere to instantly transmit from wherever it’s maintained and stored to any place where it’s needed to gain insight into potential dangers.

AP police gets ‘Dial-100’ emergency response centre

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o better enable the police in reaching the complainant within minutes, a centralised system on the lines of an emergency response agency like ‘911’ in the United States was launched in Andhra Pradesh. Under the ‘Dial 100’ project, the AP police department has teamed up with GVK EMRI to build and operate a unified command and control centre for the entire state. The integrated ‘Dial 100’ centre would also co-ordinate other emergency services like medical, fire and other disaster-related response services. Citizens seeking police assistance during emergencies can lodge a complaint from mobile phone or a landline from any part of the state by dialling the toll-free emergency number ‘100’ which will be manned

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by the police department. Inaugurating the ‘Dial 100’ response centre, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy said, “People no longer need to go to police station to lodge a complaint. The police will come to your doorstep.” This integrated police system will ensure efficient, quality and prompt service delivery to people. Calls made to the

helpline will first reach the centralised ‘Dial-100’ call centre and complaints once lodged, will be recorded by an Interactive Voice Record System (IVRS) and action taken will be monitored. The system will be integrated with a GPS/GIS server, with digital maps of the entire state, so that the location of the caller is identified

Pune conducts tree census

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rees in the Pune city are now being digitally mapped with the civic body geo-tagging each tree and creating a database that would be accessible on the Web. The Pune Municipal Corporation has undertaken this pilot project in compliance with a Bombay high court directive that had asked it to undertake a census using modern technology and involving experts. The High Court had issued the directive on March 21, in response to a Public Interest Litigation regarding the destruction of green cover in Pune city. The court had asked the PMC to set an example for the rest of Maharashtra by using

Using satellite imagery to assess crop damage

To protect the green cover of the city Pune Municipal Corporation is conducting tree census. Geographical Information System (GIS) to effectively map and enumerate the city’s trees. Following the court’s directive, the municipal corporation asked students of University of Pune’s botany department as well as other colleges to participate in the exercise. Janwani, a social initiative of the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture, as well as other environmental groups are assisting the corporation in the pilot project. Some environmental organisations are helping the

corporation with software tools that are useful for tree mapping. Officials at the Pune Municipal Corporation said, “The corporation is required to use cost-effective technology and community participation to create a sense of ownership for the trees in the city.” A three-member panel has now been formed with a mandate to carry out Pune Tree Census in a manner that can be easily replicated by other cities. Two experts, director of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and chief conservator of forests Sunil Limaye and Prof Jitendra Shah from GISE Lab, IIT Mumbai are assisting the PMC in carrying out the tree census.

he Public Accounts Committee of the Maharashtra Legislature revealed, in its latest report, the need for State Government agencies to use satellite imagery in assessing the extent of crop damages in the event of natural disasters. Maharashtra is located in the western region of India and is the second most populous state in India with a population of 112,372,972, based on the 2011 census. While the Maharashtra Remote Sensing Applications Centre has been using satellite imagery and data for crop damage assessment for the past several years, most of the state government agencies are still using an “age old” method called ‘Aanewari’, which calculates the crop yield in terms of Annas (old currency unit). By using satellite imagery and data, the concerned government agencies would be able to arrive at an estimated cost of crop damages. In addition, decision makers can take the necessary steps to mitigate other adverse effects of natural disasters on their agricultural livelihood in the future. Remote sensing technology has emerged as a tremendous tool in predicting the occurance and monitoring the impact of natural disasters. Satellite imagery is being used across the globe for monitoring crops, forests and the impact of climate change.


gps News

ICF rolls out more coaches with comfort and safety features a GPS-based Passenger Information System (Digital display with Audio) and a remote monitoring system through GPS/GPRS/ CDMA, for real-time fault diagnostics.

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he Integral Coach Factory (ICF) based in Chennai has set a new record by rolling out 1,620 coaches during the concluded fiscal of 2012-13. The factory had produced 1,500 coaches in 2011-12. Flagging off a 1,600-Horse Power Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) and a High Speed Self-Propelled

Steps are being taken to manufacture more DEMUs to meet the growing requirement across the country. A salient feature of the DEMU is its 3-phase AC transmission developed using indigenous technology. Commenting on the new breed of coaches, V Ramachandran, Director General, Railway Design and Standards Organisation, said the new DEMU is the first-of-its-kind in India. It can run at a speed of 105 kmph, when compared to the 1,400 HP DEMU, which has an efficiency of 100 kmph. The DEMU has a passenger capacity of 2,900.

Accident Relief Train (HS SPART), Keshav Chandra, Member-Mechanical, Railway Board said, all the 60 railway divisions in the country would be equipped with SPART before 2016. Currently, only 26 railway divisions have accident relief trains. The DEMU coach is made of stainless steel and comprises

Lingerie to protect against sexual offences

M

anisha Mohan, an The Lingerie can send sms engineering student to emergency numbers of Sri Ramaswamy Memorial and will also emit shock University in Chennai, along waves when pressure with her two colleagues sensors are activated. Rimpi Tripathi and Neeladri Basu Pal have developed lingerie laced with modules explains Manisha Mohan, coof GPS and global system developer of the innovative for mobile communications product. The shock waves can (GSM) which is capable of be emitted up to 82 times the sending alerts to parents and moment pressure sensors get police. The lingerie is named activated, and the GPS and Society Harnessing Equipment GSM modules would send a (SHE), has pressure sensors SMS on emergency number and is capable of sending 100, as well as to parents of shock waves of 3,800 kV, the girl.


The innovative design of the lingerie has bagged an award at the Gandhian Young Technology Award-2013 event organised at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A). Following the Delhi gangrape incident and the rape of a BPO worker in Bangalore, the three students decided to come up with something innovative which helps women protect themselves besides not being abandoned in the name of safety.

TomTom launches in-car portable navigation

N

avigation solutions provider TomTom has launched global positioning system (GPS) based incar portable navigation device (PND) for the Goa market. TomTom’s maps and navigation content covers all major beaches, 34,000 points of interest across 264 categories, more than 170 prominent tourist destinations around Goa with turn by turn voice-guided navigation for more than 5,800 cities and towns across India. Sanu Vasudevan, Country Sales Manager, TomTom India said, “Goa is one of the most famous and frequented tourist spots of India. A portable navigation device will not only help in saving time and fuel but enhance the overall trip experience.”

India to launch first IRNSS satellite in June

I

ndia will launch the first of the seven satellites for the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) during the second week of June 2013. This will bring India closer to having its own indigenous air navigation system/Global Positioning System (GPS), which would provide information on location and time in all weather conditions. The IRNSS-1 will be launched using the polar satellite launch vehicle, PSLV-C22, from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh’s launchpad.

GPS innovation alliance to support enhancement to GPS

T

he GPS Innovation Alliance, in a letter to General William L Shelton, commander of the U S Air Force Space Command, has expressed interest to support planned enhancements to the GPS constellation. Specifically, the Alliance supports activating the Civilian Navigation (CNAV) message on two additional GPS signals to ensure a more robust GPS system and infrastructure.

Referring to GPS as “one of our most critical and valuable national assets,” the Alliance explained that the planned

development will serve the public interest by increasing accuracy and reliability of civilian GPS applications by providing more receivers with dual frequencies. “We believe that GPS users will experience benefits from activation of the full CNAV message on the GPS L2C and L5 signals,” the Alliance wrote.

Application to monitor teens

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ytetime is a newly launched application that helps parents track the activities of their children. It will also help teens become more responsible and aware of what they do and what they don’t. For a fee of `54 ($5) a month or `2,177 ($40) a year, Kytetime gives parents an insight into their children’s online activity, helps teenagers focus in school, and also identify their location. Using Kytetime parents can schedule when teenagers can

Kytetime enables parents to fully monitor activities of their children, and provides details on their online activites as well.

with whom they talk and text. Kytetime also offers a real-time GPS locater which parents can use to identify the whereabouts of their children.

use apps such as Facebook and SnapChat. Scheduling itself can be done remotely from a phone, tablet, or via a PC using the Kytetime Parent Dashboard. This dashboard also gives parents real-time information of their teenagers online activities including time spent per app, favorite websites, and

Unfortunately, the app does not have the ability to block or filter websites. It also lacks mechanisms such as timer controls to set specific times and the number of hours a tablet or smartphone can be used. It’s currently available only for the Google Android platform and there’s a free 14-day trial offer.

DARPA developing technology for navigation without GPS

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he Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), an agency of the United States Department of Defense, is developing a timing and inertial measurement unit (TIMU) that can aid navigation when GPS is temporarily unavailable. DARPA researchers have revealed that they have

developed a prototype chip that could lead to navigation even if the GPS fails. Smaller than the size of a penny, the single chip TIMU prototype contains a six axis IMU (three gyroscopes and three accelerometers) and integrates a “highlyaccurate” master clock into a single miniature system. The TIMU is only 10 cubic

mm in size. Each of the six microfabricated layers of the TIMU is only 50 microns thick, approximately the thickness of a human hair. The chip’s sensors are used to measure orientation and acceleration over time. According to DARPA, “The chip integrates breakthrough devices, materials and designs from Micro-PNT programme.”

ViewRanger launches V4.0 for Android

T

he award winning GPS-adventure app and trail-guide publishing platform ViewRanger has launched a major update of its Android app, which is available free from Google Play. The new user experience within Version 4.0 of ViewRanger Outdoors GPS means that the app’s key features – advanced active navigation, access to trail guides from across the world and the ability to record and share location-based adventure content online – are now just a finger-swipe away. Over the last 14 months, the company has gathered feedback from its global user community who range from occasional walkers through to cycling enthusiasts and mountain rescue teams. The result is an app completely re-designed and optimised for use on-the-go. For example, V4.0 allows advanced users to set up their own gesture-based shortcuts – particularly useful for cold nights or simply when cycling with a phone mounted on the forearm or handlebars. Commenting on the application, Craig Wareham, CEO of Augmentra, the company behind ViewRanger said, “ViewRanger is map, navigation and guidebook app. It provides a platform for publishing and sharing mediarich, interactive trail guides. The new user interface makes it easier to create, navigate and share your outdoor adventures.”


COVER STORY

Removing

regional disparities

The UP government is on a mission to remove gaps in decentralised planning, promoting sustainable and equitable development at the village, block and district panchayat levels. To power this initiative Integrated SPIDER and e-MANCHITRA Geo Portals have been developed to provide up-to-date and real-time data to planners, administrators and public representatives, marking a move from e-governance to g-governance


T

he journey of the concept of good governance in modern times has gone through many phases. In the preindependence period Gandhiji’s vision of good governance essentially meant democratic decentralisation which entailed power to the Gram Panchayats (GPs) and people at the lowest level of political hierarchy. By the early 1990s, however, the idea of good governance had turned into a metaphor of doner-conditionality for the debt-ridden countries of Asia and Africa. It was often blamed for social unrest and political upheaval in many parts of the world. But freed from the element of coercion and external force, the concept retained a certain attraction spurring a number of policy initiatives based on the demand for participatory development, transparency in decision making and empowerment of people to decide and shape their destiny. After independence, both the central and state governments of India, are trying to remove inter/intra regional disparities at macro/micro levels but it still persists in the society. Decentralized, integrated district and local level plannings are being implemented to promote the balanced development, especially in the rural areas. The 73rd and 74th amendments of the Constitution have bestowed greater responsibilities and powers to the local bodies, positioning them as the third tier of governance. The Planning Department of Uttar Pradesh Government (GoUP) is collecting data on more than 4,000 parameters from various socio-economic sectors like Agriculture and Allied Activities, Industry, Social Sector, Power, Transport and Communication, Banking, Urban Facilities, Rural Infrastructural Facilities etc. at village, block and district levels. This information

Realising the potential importance of the geospatial technology, Planning Department, GoUP and NIC, Uttar Pradesh jointly conceptualized a `5 crore, GIS project during the year 2008-09 for creating GIS infrastructures.

is annually published and maintained in the form of block, district and divisional Sankhyikiya Patrikas (SPs) in more than 100 tables/subtables, since 1973, 1977 and 1981 respectively. The manual system inherits the issues of inconsistency, redundancy, inaccuracy, time lag in the data and variations in tables, formats, years etc. In the year 1993, SP was analyzed and was found that the total data available in the state was approximately 9.30 lakhs, out of which 3.20 lakhs obtained by calculation, 1.35 lakhs needed entry/checking (related to censuses) only once, while 4.75 lakhs to be entered every year. More than 1,000 maps/charts were also prepared and published in SPs every year. Based on SP data, State Planning Atlases got prepared manually through outsourced agencies as and when required and for the same, Planning Department was paying heavily. The latest manual atlas available with the department is for the year 2000. To overcome the maladies affecting the manual system and to reduce the workload and to increase the efficiency, transparency and visualisation of the data, Integrated SPIDER (Sankhyikiya Patrika : Internet based Data Entry and Retrieval) (http://updes.up.nic.in/ spatrika) and e-MANCHITRA (Map based Analytical Charting and Reporting Application) (http://emanchitra.up.nic.in/ emanchitra) geo portals have been developed over the period. Integrated SPIDER and e-MANCHITRA Geo Portals SP databases are available for all the districts, blocks and villages for the years 1995-2012 by applying the modules: (i) Data entry/updation (Village, block, town & district) (ii) Report generation (GP with villages, Block with GPs, District with blocks, Division with districts) (iii) Query system (Village, may 2013 geospatial TODAY | 13

COVER STORY

GIS cells have been set up in all the districts and at the Headquarter of Planning Department during the year 2009-10 and are networked for exchanging geospatial information.

Figure 1: Integrated architectural view of SPIDER & e-MANCHITRA Geo Portals

Block, District, State) and (iv) Map based query system (Block, District) of SPIDER portal, developed using ASP at the front-end and SQL Server at the back-end while work is in progress for the year 2013. Two more modules: GP-SP and Block-SP have been added in SPIDER portal for strengthening the GP and Block databases and tested on year 2009 real data of Mau district. In the year 2003, on the request of Planning Department, GoUP and with the approval of DG, NIC, a Bilingual State Planning Atlas (SPA) using GIS tools and SP databases, was prepared by NIC, Uttar Pradesh for the first time and since then SPAs are annually published using GIS tools in the book forms as well as on the Web. Lucknow

District Planning Atlas (DPA) was prepared using Arc View GIS tools and SP databases in the year 2006 for the first time in book form as well as on the Web on a pilot basis. DPAs in all the districts of Uttar Pradesh are also being prepared for the year 2009 onwards. Realising the potential importance of the geospatial technology, Planning Department, GoUP and NIC, Uttar Pradesh jointly conceptualized a `5 crore GIS project during the year 2008-09 for creating GIS infrastructures and generating a large number of online thematic maps and charts for understanding the gaps in the decentralized planning and measuring sustainable

District Planning Atlas 2012 : MAU

COMPOSITE INDEX OF DEVELOPMENT (BASED ON 22 IMPORTANT INDICA) MAU : 100.00

DOHRI GHAT 97.85

BADRAON 96.63

FATSHPUR MADAON 99.85

GHOSL 107.13

Help: Used For Enlangement of the map Used For reducing size of the map Used For image movement in all directions Used to get map orginal size and position.

MUTIAMADABAD GOHNA 92.36

KOPAGANJ 91.52

RATANPURA 98.06 RANIPUR 94.48

PARDAHA 100.7

Used to get back extent. Used to get forward extant .

Figure 2: Blocks classification of Mau district according to development composite index


development at the village, block and district panchayat levels in the state. GIS cells have been set up in all the districts and at the Headquarter of Planning Department during the year 2009-10 and are networked for exchanging geospatial information. e-MANCHITRA has been developed using Arc GIS Web ADF for Microsoft .NET for generating annually more than 10,000 thematic maps and charts on equal as well as on unequal intervals: (i) State with regions (ii) State with divisions (iii) State with districts (iv) Region with districts (v) Division with districts (vi) District with blocks and & (vii) Block with GPs. Indicators displayed with dynamic thematic maps are automatically generated through SPIDER portal and reaches via link server in Geo-database of Arc GIS server where GPs, blocks, districts, divisional, regional and state boundaries are already available. Integration of SPIDER & e-MANCHITRA Portals have made possible to reflect the changes occurred in SPIDER data simultaneously on thematic maps generated through e-MANCHITRA Geo Portal. The integrated architecture of SPIDER & e-MANCHITRA Portals has been depicted in Figure 1. For all levels, thematic maps are available for the years 2009, 10, 11 and 12 except block with GPs. Block with GPs thematic maps of Mau district are available for the year 2009 only. Key findings of Mau district Mau district is situated on the fertile plains of the Ganges– Ghaghara doab. It lies between 83° 17’ to 84° 52’ East & 24° 47’ to 26°17’ North. At its north, Ghaghara river is on the border, Ghazipur district is on the south, Ballia district is on the east and Azamgarh district is on the west side. This district represents geographical characteristics of mid Gangetic plain. “Khachari” and “Khadar” are types of soil in

e-MANCHITRA has been developed using Arc GIS Web ADF for Microsoft .NET for generating annually more than 10,000 thematic maps and charts on equal as well as on unequal intervals.

Figure 3: GPs Classification Ghosi block of Mau district according to development composite index

the areas of north of AzamgarhBallia Road and the river flow is absent in the southern part of the district, due to which that area has Bangar type of soil, which is less fertile. The river system of the district is dominated by the Tons River and its tributary Choti Sarju. There are 6 towns, 9 blocks (as depicted in Figure 2), 596 GPs and 1,622 villages (1,499 inhabited+123 uninhabited) in the district. The geospatial case study of the district reveals the following: • There are 16 GPs spread in five blocks of Mau district where village boundaries of the same GP are nonadjacent. • Chak Sahja GP consisting Chak Sahja and Chakaudhi villages of Muhammadabad Gohna block of Mau district is surrounded from three sides (east, west and north) by Jahanaganj block of Azamgarh district and the southern side touches Ranipur block of the Mau district but it does not touches anywhere to Muhammadabad Gohna block boundary. Hence, it creates problem for people belonging to this

GP for availing day-to-day government facilities. • Murarpur GP consisting villages Jaitpur, Murarpur, Babhanauli, Tendwa and Kasimpur of Ghosi block is surrounded from three sides (east, south & west) by Fatehpur Madaun block and north by Dohri Ghat block of Mau district but it does not touches anywhere to Ghosi block boundary (as depicted in figure 3). Hence, it creates problem for people belonging to this GP for availing day to day government facilities. • Chakki Musadohi GP consisting Chakki Musadohi and Musadosi villages of Fatehpur Madaun block is surrounded from all the sides by Ghaghra river and both villages are also separated by Ghaghra rivulets, though they are inhabited and are prone to flood. • Belauli Sonbarasa GP consisting Belauli Sonbarasa and Duhia Diliya villages of Fatehpur Madaun block is situated on the bank of Ghaghra river and Duhia Diliya village is divided in

three parts by the rivulets of Ghaghra river though these villages are inhabited and are prone to flood. • These findings are ground tested, however, some more findings are possible after indepth geospatial analysis. Milestones • Successful Computerisation of Population Census-1991 enthused to initiate these projects and use of census codes has resolved the interoperability problems through these portals. Currently the use of census 2011 codes has been made mandatory by Central Government in all NeGP projects. • Coming together of State Planning Department and NIC, GoI for jointly initiating SPIDER & e-MANCHITRA projects. • Software was developed by NIC-State Unit and successfully implemented on NIC District systems while data entry/updation/ validation and report generations were done by planning personnel. • Realizing the success of the project, Planning Commission, GoI provided necessary hardware/ software in 1998-99 to all State Planning Offices in consultation with NIC for further expediting this project as a special case. • Software were converted from time to time to cope up with technological changes – Foxbase+,Xenix; Visual FoxPro,Windows; ASP,SQLSe rver; and Geospatial Technology. • Creation of ICT & Geospatial Technology Infrastructure in planning setup of the state. may 2013 geospatial TODAY | 15

COVER STORY

Dohri Ghat Block Fatehpur Madaun Block Biock Boudary

Ghaghara River

Gram Panchayat Boundary Village Boundary River on Satellre lrnage Gram Panchayat Name Village Name

Figure 4: Satellite view of Ghaghara River and surrounding GPs/Villages of Mau district

• Development of human resources in ICT & Geospatial Technology in planning setup. • Mainstreaming the planning process by applying ICT & Geospatial Technology. Challenges faced • Official data captured from census (Population, Agriculture, Live-stock, Educational, Economic Census etc.), surveys and provided by government departments were in different formats. • Variations in parameters, formats, years, tables and levels. • Rectification of inconsistent, redundant, duplicate, erroneous spatial and nonspatial data received from different sources and their integration was a challenge. • Creation of GIS infrastructure, procurement of hardware/ software, spatial data and geospatial technology knowhow was a challenge. • Geography/Fine Art Graduates/Post Graduates, Cartographers/Artists were available in all the district/ divisional and HQ. Offices, but there was resistance and fear among the staff to adopt 16 | geospatial TODAY may 2013

ICT/Geospatial technologies in the beginning. • To overcome the resistance and fear of officials, a number of training sessions on ICT/ Geospatial technologies and their applications were conducted. • Integrated SPIDER & e-MANCHITRA geo portals were modified from time to time to accommodate the technological changes as well as changes in tables, parameters, years and formats as per demand and GoI guidelines.

Integration of SPIDER & e-MANCHITRA Portals has made it possible to reflect the changes occurred in SPIDER data simultaneously on thematic maps generated through e-MANCHITRA Geo Portal.

and charts have become possible. • Public representatives, planners, administrators, institutions, NGOs, citizens etc. are identifying the inter-GP, inter-block, interdistrict, inter-divisional and inter-regional socio-economic disparities using these portals and bringing transparency in the strengthening of decentralized integrated planning and decision makings. • Integrated geo portal has made people participation possible in planning and decision-making process and empowered demand for under developed areas. • State government is saving more than `5 crore per year after the implementation of these portals. • This is a step towards e-Governance to g-Governance.

Socio-economic benefits • These portals have reduced redundancy, inconsistency, inaccuracy, time lag, variations in formats, tables, years, levels etc. and improved the interoperability, transparency, reliability, scalability and visualisation of data in the form of information, knowledge and wisdom. • Integration of SPIDER & e-MANCHITRA Portals have made possible to reflect the changes occurred in SPIDER, simultaneously on thematic maps generated by e-MANCHITRA Geo Portal. • Three way data visualisation in the form of tables, maps

Dr L R Yadav

Senior Technical Director National Informatics Centre, Department of Electronics & Information Technology, MoC&IT, GoI, Lucknow e-mail : [email protected]

R S Singh

Principal Systems Analyst National Informatics Centre, Department of Electronics & Information Technology, MoC&IT, GoI, Lucknow e-mail: [email protected]

COLUMN

The best projects are those that align to the organisational mission, creating a differentiator for an organisation – and most importantly – have buy-ins at all levels. If any of these elements are missing, then its time to revisit the strategic plan of the project Lowell Ballard Director of Geospatial Solutions Timmons Group

Application development – Is it always beneficial

L

ast month’s column discussed tips for effective client engagement and the importance of having a formalized “product owner” for any initiative you take on. This month, we will spend some time talking about cases where it might be better to never build an application – or at least defer the application or project development. As a GIS solutions provider our firm is responsible for the creation of custom applications for a diverse client base. These applications (often called “solutions”) incubate through various channels. In some cases, they emerge as an innovative solution created from a single person within an organization. In other cases, they are a reaction to an operational challenge or to streamline a process. Yet sometimes, these applications emerge in

reaction to a new legislative or regulatory requirement to better track information. For every one of these situations, a subset of people will decide if an idea should move forward. Once the project is funded a project team is established. A project charter is developed and they ultimately reach out to a company like ours to evaluate if the project should be outsourced or completed in-house. Unfortunately, in many cases, there is not sufficient communication across the organisation regarding the project and insufficient buy-in at the correct levels. Strategic planning with manageable development windows (typically 1-3 years) is the ideal solution for success. The most successful projects develop out of a well thought out and prioritized strategic plan which supports long-term goals of the organisation. This is not to suggest that

great ad-hoc ideas should not be given due attention – to the contrary – they should be fully evaluated during the process. The strategic plan should not be static but should move with the business, technology, competition and overall industry – and all levels should have a shot at being part of this. Being able to understand the goals of the organisation through a GIS strategic plan will create the opportunity for new ideas to be fully vetted. While all projects are equally exciting – the best projects tend to be those that have a great story behind them, that align to the organisational mission, creating a differentiator for an organisation – and most importantly – have buy-ins at all levels. If you don’t have all the key elements in place – perhaps it’s a better decision to invest the time and effort into a strategic plan so you

can make the best long-term decisions. There are only so many hours in the day for each of us and we have to be extremely judicious with our resources. Simply undertaking a project just for the sake of it isn’t typically a luxury we can afford. About the author: Lowell Ballard is the Director of Geospatial Solutions for Timmons Group, a leading provider of geospatial solutions and strategic planning services through their GIS RoadMap process. He consults to public and private clients in strategic planning, enterprise architecture and solutions development. He does this across almost all market sectors including emergency management, utilities and infrastructure, transportation and natural resources and the environment. He can be reached at lowell.ballard@ timmons.com. may 2013 geospatial TODAY | 17

Governance

Geoenabling

e-governance With a vision to enable better e-governance in the state, National Informatics Centre in Tamil Nadu has developed an application based on open standards that enables easy sharing and access to spatial and non-spatial data across departments

The FIG has suggested the “cadastre 2014” (which was recently renamed cadastre 2034) is considered as an ideal model for the implementation of land registration systems.


G

IS and its potential are being realized across government departments to enable better planning and administration. However, the restrictions being imposed on map data by the sources do not allow the GIS datasets to be distributed across easily for various reasons. Further, the software cost, technology related issues and availability of dedicated GIS resources and time spent by each and every department for developing applications in their respective domain areas at various levels of spatial hierarchies in governance, are the other challenges posing restrictions on the usage of GIS for decision support. The advent of service oriented GIS technologies proves to be a boon to overcome some of these issues. By adopting Open Standards and Services based Architecture, GIS databases could be distributed geographically, streamed and federated through Web GIS services, while applications

themselves could be run geographically anywhere, in any platform, using any technology. The article discusses how this can be leveraged in integrating GIS with mainstream e-governance solutions. Geospatial Web services: An overview Web Map Service (WMS), Web Feature Service (WFS), Web Coverage Service (WCS) and Web Processing Service (WPS) are some of the standards from the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). WMS renders the map in a standard image format (PNG, GIF, JPG, SVG, etc.) to the client, by adopting the default style or any application supplied style.

By adopting Open Standards and Services based Architecture, GIS databases could be distributed geographically, streamed and federated through Web GIS services, while applications themselves could be run geographically anywhere, in any platform, using any technology.

A generic solution has been designed and developed by NIC Chennai completely using Open Source software stack, to create dynamic thematic or choropleth maps and graduated or proportional symbol maps, for use in any platform, from any technology. Individual applications could consume these services, query, filter and apply styles appropriately for depiction locally, based on their application data and make the integration happen seamlessly. By reading the XML data generated by individual applications on the fly, SLD is generated dynamically and the map is rendered using the WMS layer. The following Open Source technology / Software have been used:

Styled Layer Descriptor (SLD) defines an encoding that extends the WMS standard to allow user-defined symbolisation and coloring of geographic feature and coverage data. SLD ensures control of the visual portrayal of the geospatial data.

• OGC GeoSpatial Web Services – GeoServer : http:// geoserver.org • Spatial Database – PostgreSQL / PostGIS : http:// postgis.refractions.net

Generic solutions using open source software stack

• Framework – GeoExt (JavaScript) with OpenLayers http://geoext.org • Scripting Language - PHP a) The system architecture

GIS / WMS Server

Attributes XML

ASP / JSP / .Net / PHP / ..

Application Server

Dynamic SLD Generation

PostgreSQL / Oracle / SQL Server / Access / …

Request for Map

SLD / XML

WMS Server

Client

PostGIS / ESRI Shape files / ArcSDE / …

The Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) gives us the freedom of platform independent deployment and advantage of distributed environment. The attribute and spatial data collaborate over XML technologies from different servers. The process for developing generic GIS includes:

Map Response

• Individual applications generate attribute XML for thematic presentation using any technology • Dynamic SLD is created based on the attribute XML

Figure 1: Different components and their interactions in the system

• The WMS server that hosts may 2013 geospatial TODAY | 19

Governance

• The GIS Server reads the XML file on the fly; generates another XML file called SLD dynamically to apply styles to the geographic features (like the administrative units) of WMS.

Figure 2: Thematic representations for Revenue Department on Weekly Rainfall Data (Districts) and Rural Development Department on Financial Progress in schemes (Blocks)

the spatial datasets interprets the SLD and renders map images. The necessary interactions and the processes involved among the components are shown in figure 1. i) Application server • Application server dynamically creates the XML Attribute file for the indicator to be thematically represented in the maps using any technology, viz. ASP, ASP. NET, PHP, JSP etc. • Application server initiates a map request through this Attribute XML file, whose URL is passed onto GIS Server. • Attribute XML file provides the following parameters: layer to be displayed, column to link in WMS (that is, linking column between spatial and attribute), column to be used for labeling maps, symbology type (Equal Interval, Equal Count, Custom), number of ranges, colours to apply in each class, filters to apply, if any (both the column name and value pair for filter) and titles. Also, the unique feature code-value pairs for the administrative units chosen are to be provided in the XML file. In the custom range option for thematic map generation, the number of ranges, individual ranges, colours, legend, etc are 20 | geospatial TODAY may 2013

customizable by the user. For the graduated symbol map generation, the symbol, size, colour etc. are additionally customizable. • It is also possible to provide a drill down effect on the thematic map. For this, the drill_down_url parameter should be set to appropriate url of the XML file that would generate thematic map at the required map level. • For Graduated Symbol maps, additionally, the symbol, size of symbol and the colours are customizable. • Title and sub-title of map can be decided, as it should appear on the Web page. ii) GIS server • Application server initiates a map request through an Attribute XML file whose URL is passed onto GIS Server. The layer specifications are configurable in the XML file which includes the URL for WMS layer access, label column, group of layers etc. For instance, if District HQ layer is to be used for graduated symbol map presentation, it is not sufficient to draw just the point features alone, the district boundary layer also has to be drawn. Such configurations could be made in the layer specifications XML file.

A generic solution has been designed and developed by NIC Chennai completely using Open Source software stack, to create dynamic thematic or choropleth maps and graduated or proportional symbol maps, for use in any platform, from any technology.

• Based on the code-value pairs in the Attribute XML, SLD for the selected layer is generated to apply different styles over different features. • A link to the URL of SLD file, stored temporarily on the server, is passed on as one of the parameters to the WMS request to the server. Passing the SLD file link as a URL makes it possible to separate the SLD generation server and the actual WMS server. iii) WMS server • WMS server hosts the spatial data as services. • The WMS could read spatial data from heterogeneous platform / formats including Shape Files / PostGIS / ArcSDE / etc. • The SLD=http://servername/ sld.xml parameter in the requested url instructs to apply the styles on the layers as provided in the sld.xml file. The requirements from GIS WMS Server are: 1. OGC Compatible WMS version 1.1.1 or above, for the required layers that support dynamic SLD application like GeoServer 2. Enable simple Web service for the layer to provide the extents for a region of interest based on the ‘filter-column=value’ pair in the attribute XML (as this functionality is not currently possible through the GetCapabilities of WMS). This makes it feasible to enable drill-down effect and zoom to a particular region of interest.

3. Temporary storage enabled with virtual folder definition to store the SLD files temporarily and to provide URL link to. b) Currently supported map compositions Currently the following map composition interfaces have been designed and developed in a generic manner: • Thematic / Choropleth mapping for Polygon features to visualize how an indicator varies across a geographic area / administrative unit • Graduated / proportional symbol maps for point features where the individual features could be varied in size in proportionate to the values of the indicator chosen with necessary style • Unique symbol mapping for polygon features where all features are uniquely coloured based on any chosen attribute value. I. Generic design advantages • Any number of layers could be used in the generic interface by adding the details in the layer specification file. • Through the attribute XML, it is possible to customize layer selection, linkable column, filtering for a column namevalue pair, label column, colours, etc. • User selectable number of ranges, classification type like Equal Interval / Equal Count / custom ranges, colours and title through parameters. • Drill down map hierarchically by enabling clickable map through appropriate URL in the XML parameters. II. Major features of the software • Rich Internet Application (RIA) interface

• Map panel with Ajax based Zoom in / out, rectangular zoom, pan, information query, previous / next extents, label on / off, distance and area calculations in the map, etc. • Labels could be switched on / off • Includes Accordion that could be docked / expanded for Data, Legend, etc. • Query Builder to query the data and view on the map • Change symbology dynamically including individual ranges • PDF output generation for including in reports / presentations etc. III. Applications that use this technology in NIC-Tamil Nadu The following departments / applications consume GIS Web services, that is, Web Map Service for different layers: • Directorate of Rural Development: Monitors physical and financial progress of schemes for rural development with drill down to block level maps (PHP) • Revenue Department: To view rainfall map – daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal and annual reports (ASP) • Civil supplies and consumer protection department: daily / weekly / monthly price of commodities for civil supplies & consumer protection department (JSP) • Transport Department: Number of applications filed online RTO office wise • BSNL Chennai Circle– 2G outages highlighting the 2G sites that are down at any given point of time (ASP.Net) • Industries Department: To view dynamic mapping of number of MSME

Figure 3: BSNL 2G site locations that are down (Outages) – Data Source: their application data exposed via URL (XML)

NIC-TNSC is exploring the usage of Location Based Services integrating the location captured with the Android mobiles along with the photo of the location through Services.

applications applied online in Tamil Nadu (PHP) Conclusion This approach provides the following benefits by enabling usage of GIS interfaces across multiple applications: • Sharing of spatial data across the organization / websites, which was earlier restricted for various security reasons by retaining map data at the source itself. • Easy administration of maps • Better interoperability through SOA (backend technologies do not matter). • Technology can be leveraged by application developers who have very little knowledge of GIS • Fully compliant with OGC Standards • Supports a distributed architecture This application developed by NIC acts as a proof of concept on how a common unified GIS server can provide simple thematic services to any number of applications, independent of platform and technologies. To move one step ahead, distributed architecture based on services would have much wider scope and reach more than may 2013 geospatial TODAY | 21

Governance

NIC-TNSC is also exploring the Web Processing Service (WPS) which would enable geospatial analytical queries on spatial data across heterogeneous platforms.

Figure 4: Number of applications filed online, RTO wise

any regular / conventional GIS website could deliver. Future road map NIC-TNSC is exploring the usage

of Location Based Services integrating the location captured with the Android mobiles along with the photo of the location through Services. Also, we are

exploring the Web Processing Service (WPS) which would enable geospatial analytical queries on spatial data across heterogeneous platforms.

Mahalakshmi Narayanan Dr A Mohan M Manivannan P K Prasad

National Informatics Centre Tamil Nadu State Unit, Department of Information Technology

Bentley Systems supports ‘Water for People’

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entley Systems, Incorporated, the leading company dedicated to providing comprehensive software solutions for sustaining infrastructure, announced that it has contributed $100,000 to “Water for People,” in support of the organisation’s work for improving water systems in emerging economies around the world. Bentley has also donated a selection of eight software products from its portfolio, including MicroStation, WaterGEMS, SewerGEMS, FlowMaster, and Bentley Map. The software will be used by ‘Water for People’ team members to design, engineer, and construct water systems, as well as to map the functionality of water points in every district. Team members will access the software through Bentley’s STUDENTserver self-serve website, which will enable them to download, at no charge, current and future versions of the software and provide them with access to training and technical support. ‘Water for People’ teaches local communities in Africa, Central and South America, and India how to build, manage, and maintain water and sanitation systems, and to build capacity that ensures the systems can be operated and maintained at levels appropriate for each community. Bentley is a global sponsor of ‘Water for People,’ with many of its colleagues – including Bentley COO Malcolm Walter, who serves on the organisation’s board – volunteering their time to the organisation. Ned Breslin, executive director, Water for People, said, “I want to thank Bentley not only for its generous contributions, but also for its long-standing corporate commitment to sustaining crucial infrastructure, including water systems, around the globe. Its funding and donation of software for cost-effectively designing and building water and wastewater systems, along with the enthusiastic volunteer work in support of our programs by many of its colleagues, will help us continue to have a significant positive impact on the communities we serve. With the continued support of corporate partners like Bentley, we may one day see an end to water poverty everywhere.” Added Malcolm Walter, “Improving quality of life for people around the world is an essential part of Bentley’s mission. It’s what investment in sustaining infrastructure is all about. All of us at Bentley Systems are very pleased to support the crucial and amazing work that Water For People is doing sustaining water systems in areas currently struggling to provide communities with adequate supplies of safe drinking water.”


NEWS

Space Talk

India to have a privately built PSLV soon

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related matters.” The space agency is keen to focus on unique science projects, develop remote sensing satellites and do more research and development instead of engaging in the repetitive exercise of building communication satellites and launch vehicles. At present, the industry’s participation in development of communication satellites is up to 80 per cent. If both satellites and launch vehicles can be produced by the industry, then ISRO will be able to concentrate on research-activities.

urging ahead on its plans to rope in the private sector in its activities, ISRO is expecting to launch its first privately built rocket in the next five years. ISRO has embarked on hiving off production of communication satellites and polar satellite launch vehicles (PSLVs) to the industry. Elaborating on the plans to rope in the private sector, ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan said, “We are now setting up a national committee to work out the modalities on how to go about it. The committee will look at various steps in this regard including the revenue model, technology transfer and

AsiaSat and GeoMetWatch Partner to launch advanced severe weather payload

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sia Satellite Telecommunications Company (AsiaSat) and GeoMetWatch have announced a strategic partnership to host the first of six Sounding & Tracking Observatory for Regional Meteorology (STORMTM) instruments on board a new satellite planned for launch in 2016 and to be positioned at 122 degrees east. The STORMTM sensor is currently being manufactured by Utah State University’s

Advanced Weather Systems. It will collect and return to Earth sophisticated and critical weather data from the Asia Pacific region not currently available. This hyperspectral data will enable meteorologists to provide better daily forecasts, predict severe weather and atmospheric instability more accurately, and improve location and storm tracking and analysis of the intensity of hurricanes and typhoons, resulting in

earlier evacuations that can improve the preservation of lives and property. Partnering with the Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC) of the University of Wisconsin, the GeoMetWatch system will provide high-resolution, visible and infrared images of atmospheric conditions as well as a complete set of quasicontinuous measurements that are high resolution in vertical, spatial and temporal dimensions.

Surrey Satellite moves into New Headquarters

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urrey Satellite Technology US (SST-US) has moved into a new purpose-built company headquarters and satellite manufacturing facility in Englewood, Colorado. The new SST-US headquarters provides clean room space for satellite and

subsystem manufacture, customer payload integration, and electronics assembly activities. The facility also includes an electronics laboratory, mission operations center, and office space. Once in orbit, satellites

built and launched by SST-US will be commissioned and operated from the company’s mission operations center. SST-US received an incentives package from the State of Colorado and Douglas County to locate the new headquarters in Englewood.

Integration for DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-3 satellite started Ball Aerospace & Technologies has started integration for DigitalGlobe’s next generation commercial remote-sensing satellite. The WorldView-3 satellite, scheduled for a mid2014 launch, is the third in a series to employ the Ball Commercial Platform (BCP) 5000 – the WorldView-2, launched in 2009, and the WorldView-1, launched in 2007, also use the platform. The integration of the control moment gyroscopes (CMGs) and the propulsion module for the WorldView-3 is currently underway in anticipation of the ITT Exelis imaging sensor delivery expected for midyear. The environmental testing of the finished satellite is scheduled to begin in this fall after sensor integration and checkout is completed. WorldView-3 will offer 31-centimetre resolution panchromatic, 1.24-metre resolution eight-band multispectral, and 3.72 metre resolution eightband Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) imagery. The satellite’s CMGs can reorient it over a desired collection area in 4 to 5 seconds, compared to 30 to 45 seconds needed for traditional reaction wheels. may 2013 geospatial TODAY | 23

Disaster management

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raditionally, the role of governments during natural calamities was only limited to rescue, relief and rehabilitation. However, with changing times, components such as mitigation, preparedness and effective disaster response are increasingly becoming a part of their disaster management plans. There is a constant need for updating these disaster plans, both qualitatively and quantitatively, for strengthening the organisation at various levels. At times, the required information is not available and sometimes if available, is obsolete and not fit to be used by the decision makers. A lot of work has been done regarding establishing the guidelines for achieving realtime information on disasters. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) has established the Hugo Framework of Action(HFA), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has created guidelines for disaster management planning (DMP) and hazard, vulnerability risk assessment (HVRA). NDMA has also made it mandatory for every state within India to create a SDMP (State Disaster Management Plan) and conduct HVRA. A project has been initiated to conduct an HVRA for the Puducherry and Karaikal districts of the Union Territory of Puducherry. In addition to this, the project involved development of a GIS-based decision support system that is capable of assessing risk from natural hazards like cyclone, flood and drought and applying the outcomes of risk assessment for disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. The objectives of this assignment were: 24 | geospatial TODAY may 2013

A decision support system capable of assessing risk from natural disasters has been developed for the government of Puducherry. Vital information provided by it is being used for disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery

Making disaster management effective

• Developing a GIS-based repository of the building, infrastructure and demograhics • Risk mapping for major hazards such as cyclone and storm surge, flood, tsunami and drought • Development of a Decision Support System (DSS) that helps support the HFA • Training and capacity building of stakeholders engaged in disaster management

Solution – Development of a PDSS The development of PDSS involved collection and collation of all the required data from various departments and other national institutes, carrying out hazard, vulnerability and risk assessment for cyclone and storm surge, tsunami, flood and drought for the study area and then integrating the HVRA model and its outcomes into a software platform for supporting mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. The following are the key activities that were performed by the team: Exposure database development RMSI conducted DGPS Survey as a part of topographic survey and collected 50 GCP points. Secondary data mainly, land use, soil, weather and disaster information was collected from various government agencies, population and household details were collected from census, planning and statistical department, administrative boundaries were captured up to cadastral level, livestock information was collected at village level from the Animal Husbandry Department, land use/ layers overlayed with cadastral maps to delineate the built-up area were developed, all the above mentioned data was processed for creating GIS layers. Finally, all the processed data was incorporated into a GIS database. Hazard, vulnerability and risk model development Deterministic hazard models for tsunami, cyclone and storm surge, flood and drought were developed to estimate the intensity of the hazard at the village level. Vulnerability functions were developed for all types of exposure elements incorporated in the exposure

The project involved development of a GIS based decision support system that is capable of assessing risk from natural hazards like cyclone, flood and drought and applying the outcomes of risk assessment for disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

database. Finally, RMSI created an approach for estimating the risk of various exposure elements utilizing the hazard and vulnerability models. Development of DSS The primary objective of the decision support system is to provide a straight forward and hassle free means to utilize the outcome of risk assessment for mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. To achieve the same, the foremost requirement was to ensure that a consistent and up-todate exposure dataset for the region under consideration is embedded into the framework of the DSS. As a next step, the hazard and vulnerability models were integrated into the DSS so that the entire risk assessment engine could be used for achieving the above said objective. Building on top of the risk assessment engine, four focused modules were developed to support mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Response and recovery module This module provides a user the ability to analyze the impact of any impending disaster event on the districts of Puducherry and Karaikal to help plan the response and then track the recovery. For example, if a Cyclone approaches Puducherry then Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts the track information on their website (http://www.imd. gov.in/section/nhac/dynamic/ cyclone.htm) – through their Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC). On their website, IMD publishes longitude, latitude, time intervals and other details in the form of a map and table. PDSS response and recovery module provides


Disaster management

the user with a functionality to enter these details into the system. Once the user enters the details, they can analyze the impact of the cyclone on the two districts of Puducherry and Karaikal. This analysis automatically generates a map with the given ‘Event Name’ and ‘Analysis Name’ with GIS layers having information like affected people, households and infrastructure. In parallel a ‘Cyclone Analysis Report’ showing loss and other details for the selected parameters is generated. A similar analysis can be run for other hazards such as tsunamis, floods and storm surges. The module also provides the user, the ability to update the status on ground regarding the recovery of the damaged households, infrastructure and people moving back into their homes from shelters in the DSS. This helps keep the DSS up-to-date with all the real time recovery information that is used to generate the disaster “Situation Report” at any given time. Mitigation module PDSS mitigation module facilitates users to use existing disaster information to gauge the impact of the disasters and use that to define and test the possible mitigation measures for maximum benefit in term of losses reduced. The information

Figure 1: Response and Recovery Module


provided in this module includes: • Hazard zones for cyclones, floods, tsunamis and droughts • Ability to modify structural characteristics of the households • Analyze the impact of the disaster on the households • Perform Cost-Benefit analysis on the basis of user modified options Based on the hazard and exposure selected, loss is calculated and a ‘Mitigation Analysis Report’ is generated which can be exported to a pdf format. PDSS Cost-Benefit Analysis tool enables users to compare analysis results in case, hazard and exposure have changed. It can also give an insight as to how the same intensity event can cause different losses if the structures are different. Preparedness module This module is responsible for activities before a disaster strikes. It provides users the ability to define, view, and query the following information, based on the user-selected area at the available resolution. • Past disaster events in a geographic location • Available temporary shelter in an area

The development of PDSS involved collection and collation of all the required data from various departments and other national institutes, carrying out hazard, vulnerability and risk assessment for cyclone and storm surge, tsunami, flood and drought for the study area.

• Equipments available • Available resources • Contractor list and their status • Transportation facility available • Backup power and water supply availability • Food and clothing • Evacuation plan • Details and status of emergency exercise and training • Details of available warning system and their status • All available information related to households and infrastructure Training and capacity building As part of the project, various stakeholders and officials from the revenue and other allied departments were trained by RMSI on the use of DSS. To ensure a proper knowledge transfer to the key users, RMSI planned and implemented a 3-stage training module. Training details are given in table 1. Benefits • A cyclone risk model is developed that helps users assess the impact of possible storms and test the effectiveness of possible mitigation options thereby helping in deciding on the

S. No.

Training Type

For whom

Duration/Maximum participants

1.

Functional Training on PDSS application

Key User Group One day/ 15 ( Senior officials from various departments/ NGOs)

2.

Functional and usage training of PDSS application

End user group from Department of Revenue, Puducherry and Karaikal

One day/ 15

EOC Center Staff from Puducherry and Karaikal

One day/ 15

3.

Functional training of entire PDSS application

right kind of mitigation options to apply. • A decision support system has been installed in the Emergency Operation Center of Puducherry to help them assess the risk from disasters, plan the resources for responding to approaching hazard events, monitor the recovery and produce current situation reports

instantaneously at any time for information dissemination during disaster time • There is no license fee involved for PDSS hence client can distribute any number of copies of PDSS to respective departments • Easy maintenance and enhancement of building, infrastructure and demographics data

Deterministic hazard models for tsunami, cyclone and storm surge, flood and drought were developed to estimate the intensity of the hazard at the village level.

• Availability of trained man power on hazard risk assessment • Easy to mainstream disaster risk reduction at all levels in the government decision making Technologies used • Deterministic modeling using stochastic simulations, vulnerability and loss analyses, and exposure development • Open source GIS libraries and PostgreSQL/ Postgis – open source GIS database • Total station and DGPS survey • Social survey and PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) techniques Future direction PDSS has been successfully implemented for Puducherry and Karaikal districts of UT of Puducherry. The application has been well used and well appreciated by the officials of Government of Puducherry. The project has now been extended to the remaining two districts of Puducherry i.e. Mahe and Yanam. The present version of PDSS is a desktop application. In future, Government of Puducherry plans to extend it to a Web-based application for wider use of the community.

Pushpendra Johari

Head-Risk & Insurance, RMSI

Mohamed Mansoor Figure 2: PDSS Architecture - A smart client application

Joint Secretary Government of Puducherry may 2013 geospatial TODAY | 27

Resource Management

Promoting sustainable management of natural resources Climate change, alterations in regional food production cycles and growing population call for sustainable management of natural resources and increasing food security. The projects initiated by European Space Agency in parts of Africa and Siberia to monitor agricultural production and optimize land use, using geospatial technologies, can as well be replicated in other parts of the globe

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ince the early 1970s civil space-borne remote sensing has been contributing to a second discovery of the world, the white patches of our maps have mostly disappeared. This basic information forms the foundation for the observation of changes and even to the introduction of monitoring programmes for various features in the natural and human landscape of our planet, like the changes by flooding, or draught, landslides or erosion, deforestation or desertification, land cultivation or urban sprawl and many more. Recent indicators for climatic change together with worrisome alterations in regional food production versus the constantly increase of human population demand the design and implementation of reliable land management tools which will serve the food security as well as the sustainable use of resources of the ecosystem in its respective regional context. The Global Monitoring for Food Security (GMFS), a programme initiated by the European Space Agency to promote food security across the world using remote sensing and GIS technology, focuses on those aspects of food security monitoring where satellite derived technology can bring added value. These include monitoring parameters reflecting


crop condition, agricultural production and overall vegetation health. In certain parts of Africa where GMFS is operational, it has established an operational service for crop monitoring in support of food security that can serve policy makers and operational users on various scales by providing spatial information on variables that affect food security. In view of the global need for improved food security and sustainable land management schemes, the potential of transfer of crop monitoring and land management methodology used in African projects, in other regions with moderate climate environment is being investigated through a project called SASCHA. The “Sustainable Land Management and Adaption Strategies to Climatic Change for the Western Siberian Corn-Belt” (SASCHA) project focuses on regional shifts in agricultural production as a consequence of changing environmental conditions. It also helps in implementing land management strategies based on the joint reflections of different land management projects successfully implemented across continents. The system adapts existing technologies from the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) initiative to regionspecific land use/land cover (LULC) management cases.

Monitoring the rural environment Around the world there are a lot of rural areas that suffer from incomplete or inconsistent maps and environmental data. Several studies have been executed by the United Nations which prove that rural areas have been mapped in smaller scales only and have not been updated for many years (e.g. Brandenberger 1987). The same applies for environmental data and GIS databases. Only if we develop methods and operational approaches to monitor the rural environment including agricultural areas and forests, we will be able to develop spatial information at appropriate scales that can tremendously aid in improving sustainable land management and food security. Certain monitoring and change detection approaches have been earmarked by the World Bank, developed by the German Agency for International Cooperation and even the Millennium Challenge Corporation for developing maps and environmental data for rural areas around the world. Inspite of being operational for many years, these efforts have not been quite successful in turning around the situation of rural areas around the world (cf. Falloux 1989). Therefore, development of demand driven

Recent indicators for climatic change together with worrisome alterations in regional food production versus the constantly increase of human population demand the design and implementation of reliable land management tools which will serve the food security as well as the sustainable use of resources.

approaches tailored for specific regions, for developing maps and environmental data based on remote sensing tools which can be managed by agronomic experts having local knowledge is the particular focus of GMFS and SASCHA programmes. Reciprocity between food security, land management and climate The importance of the issues of food security and land management becomes obvious when looking at the following figures: • Currently more than 1 billion people on Earth are affected by hunger and more than 30 countries are experiencing food emergencies (cf. FAO 2009). • Global population passed the 7 billion milestone in 2011 and will reach 10 billion by 2050. (cf. Crossette 2011) • 40 per cent of all internal conflicts over the last 60 years have had a link to natural resources (cf. UNEP 2011) • Biofuel production has increased sharply in the past few years (cf. Flammini 2008; Godvina 2010). These alarming figures underline the overall significance of responsible use of natural


Resource Management

resources, which demands implementation of improved tools for promoting sustainable development. Operational remote sensing services for agriculture and land tenure The impacts of climate change, disasters and regional conflicts, soil and land degradation versus the increasing demand on food and energy production and the increasing global population span an area of conflicts targeting land as prime ecosystem resource. Questions facing the global community today include: • How many people can be sustained on Earth? • Which land resources are threatened through climate change? • What kind of land use change will be caused through an increasing production of biofuels? • What potentials can an increased agricultural production provide in order to reduce the conflict between land degradation and land loss and the increasing pressure on the remaining land resources? Although these land use conflicts have a global dimension their sources and solutions are at a regional or local level. Solutions by means of land resource management systems need to involve the regional and local stakeholders’ networks. Remote sensing and GIS technology can provide vital information for implementing appropriate strategies for sustainable management of land resources. GMFS and SASCHA services are designed to contribute to this end. Through these programmes, stakeholders of various thematic domains can get access to 30 | geospatial TODAY may 2013

latest innovative geospatial technologies and applications without the need to be experts in remote sensing or GIS. The processing tools developed under these programmes are designed for experts and operators skilled in the fields of agricultural statistics or nature conservation who are non remote sensing experts. GMFS and SASCHA tools are easy to operate, can be systematically integrated into platforms, provide instruments with easy to use interfaces, but having access to advanced optical and radar remote sensing processing routines in the background. Specifically the software tools such as ALIS © (see figure 1) will facilitate knowhow and technology transfer and increase the availability and access for up-to-date remote sensing methodologies to non remote sensing experts, while contributing to development of multi-scale geo information systems. Application sites in Sudan The European Space Agency (ESA) started the project series of “Global Monitoring for Food Security in Africa” (GMFS) ten years ago. GMFS is part of ESAs contribution to the European Union / ESA Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) programme. It is the main European GMES service element in support of food security monitoring systems using remote sensing and GIS applications and serving the food security sector in African countries. Under the programme, a consortium of seven European R&D partners lead by VITO (www.gmfs.info) have jointly developed technical solutions using remote sensing technology for early disaster warning, bio-mass forecast, agricultural mapping, developing change maps, soil moisture indicators and agro statistical survey.

Figure 1: ALIS © interface for the GMFS CuA processing. The Global Monitoring for Food Security (GMFS), a programme initiated by the European Space Agency to promote food security across the world using remote sensing and GIS technology, focuses on those aspects of food security monitoring where satellite derived technology can bring added value.

A major component of the GMFS service portfolio is the agricultural monitoring service that assesses total planted crop land and its variability from one year to another with specific emphasis on the traditional rain fed agriculture production in Sudan. Agriculture production in Sudan is largely depended on seasonal variability and distribution, intensity, duration and period of rains. Large areas in the central Sudan depend on traditional rain fed agriculture with the cropping of Sorghum and Millet mainly for personal consumption. This causes high vulnerability of a certain part of the Sudanese population. About 60 per cent of the Sudanese population are living in rural areas with an average population density of 14-17 people per km². Using ALIS© software, an annual cultivated area map is developed for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture (FmoA) in Sudan for promoting sustainable agriculture and land use. Figure 2 shows the distribution of potential rain fed areas between the crop seasons 2009 (light yellow) versus 2010 (hatched light brown) in North Kordofan State, Sudan (Brockmann 2011). The thematic overlays show a decrease from North to South of the potentially cultivated area in the Eastern part of the state, while at the same time an increase is observed from

the South towards the North in the Western part of the state. Compared to the official statistics of the FMoA, which estimate an increase of 10 per cent in production in North Kordofan for the same period, the satellite data obviously indicates that there is much more spatial differentiation needed. Based on those annual EO application results, the FMoA is now improving its monitoring framework for the benefit of the rural population in the fragile environment of traditional rain fed agriculture. Application in the Western Siberian corn belt The positive responses and convincing results from imeplementations in Sudan and other African regions have been the basis for the transfer of the methods into the Western Siberian corn-belt. Funded by the German Ministry for Education and Research and the Russian Ministry of Research, the project called “Sustainable Land Management and Adaption Strategies to Climatic Change for the Western Siberian Corn-Belt” (SASCHA) was started one year ago. The vast agricultural lands in West Siberia demand advanced remote sensing methods to be applied in order to compare the impacts of climatic change not only on the agricultural

production but also on the ecosystem. The experiences from the African activities will also introduce a multi-scale approach of remote sensing data in Siberia. From a nearly daily product of medium resolution (typically MERIS with 300m GSD) for wide areas, and high resolution sensors for stratified sample areas once per season, to very high resolution data for stratified spot observation, the project will develop and establish a proven monitoring concept. The project SASCHA also investigates the effects of climate and land-use change on natural resources and ecosystem functions in the Pre-Taiga and Forest-Steppe ecotone of Western Siberia. The interface between the steppe and the northern forest zone in Western Siberia is of global significance in terms of carbon sequestration, food production, and biodiversity. Affecting all these subject matters, climate change and rapid socioeconomic development will trigger fundamental land use changes. The analysis of these former, present and future changes and their implications for essential ecosystem functions are the focus of the first project phase. Subsequently, sustainable land-use practices and adaption strategies to climate change will be developed. There were

In certain parts of Africa where GMFS is operational, it has established an operational service for crop monitoring in support of food security that can serve policy makers and operational users on various scales by providing spatial information on variables that affect food security.

three test sites determined in cooperation between the Russian and German partners, all in the Siberian corn belt to the South East of the city of Tyumen. One of the goals of the SASCHA project is to adopt, evaluate and implement the ALIS © functionalities for the extraction of land use/land cover (LULC) information from remote sensing images and make it available to the local institutions. A core issue is the development of change detection methods and the implementation of adequate image analysis algorithms, especially for agricultural LULC changes, such as the expansion and intensification of arable land. The system adapts existing technologies from the GMES initiative to region-specific LULC classes and aims to enable a (semi) automatic detection and quantification of future LULC changes. The system development will be driven by user needs collected from stakeholders of the Oblast’s Departments for Environmental Protection and Agriculture. Conclusion Only with a reliable spatial analysis of the current threats and factors for change will it be possible to develop sustainable land use practices and promising adaption strategies to environmental changes, in cooperation with the regional authorities and stakeholders. The global community’s efforts for improvement in sustainability of land management will become the basis for environmental and food security of our planet. The current investigations show the part remote sensing and GIS play in development of better tools for land management and food security. Klaus U Komp

Figure 2: ENVISAT MERIS FR false colour composite (2010-09-12 – bands 13-5-1) overlaid with MERIS FR level 2 fAPAR data from 2009 versus 2010

Carsten Haub EFTAS Remote Sensing Transfer of Technology [email protected] may 2013 geospatial TODAY | 31

Transport

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well maintained transportation system is essential for providing efficient commutation services to the common man, logistics services to businesses, and in enabling emergency services to respond immediately during disasters. Geospatial technology has emerged as a key enabler in analysing growth in traffic with increasing population, identifying areas/ routes experiencing sharp rise in traffic or facing traffic congestion, improving the existing transportation network to accommodate the increase

in traffic and to expand the transportation network to meet the needs of expanding cities. At the consumer end, the technology is enabling to plan commutes more efficiently by choosing optimum routes, taking into account various factors such as traffic, weather and distance travelled. The Institute of Transportation under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) in Taiwan, has created a Taiwan Transportation Decision Support System (TTDSS) using GIS

Providing efficient

transport 32 | geospatial TODAY may 2013

Developed using SuperGIS Server 3.13, TTDSS can fully integrate multiple databases and map data to perform map display and analysis functions, helping the administrators reach transportation policy decisions more objectively and effectively.

technology to assist Taiwan transportation executive in making efficient resource allocation to better manage/ improve transport network, complete public construction works in time, formulate feasible plans to improve the transport services. Developed using SuperGIS Server 3.13, TTDSS can fully integrate multiple databases and map data to perform map display and analysis functions, helping the administrators reach transportation policy decisions more objectively and effectively. Powered with a number of GIS tools, SuperGIS Desktop 3.1

With growing population the pressure on transport infrastructure is on the rise. The Taiwanese Ministry of Transportation and Communications has developed a transportation decision support system for guiding policy makers in shaping up the transportation infrastructure to accommodate the rise in traffic

Powered with a number of GIS tools, SuperGIS Desktop 3.1 allows the officials to display, edit, analyze, and manage spatial data, efficiently modify map content, and facilitate greater map output with custom GIS functions.

Figure 1: GIS Display System Interface of “Railroad Net”

allows the officials to display, edit, analyze, and manage spatial data, efficiently modify map content, and facilitate greater map output with custom GIS functions. The commissioners of Taiwan transportation executive use TTDSS for studying and evaluating proposed transport development plans, transport policies, as a result of which the efficiency of plan scrutinizing has been greatly improved. Advantages of TTDSS The GIS-based decision support system allows for the analysis

and evaluation of different transport policies, helps policy makers to improve available data quality for various modes of transport such as roads and railways, and helps in comprehending the relation between transportation systems and the relevant construction plans. Access to customisable transportation plan Developed using desktop-based GIS software, the Customisable Transportation Plan Map Display and Output System performs various functions including

Figure 2: GIS Display System Interface of “Plan Query”

display of theme map, reference map, base map, railroad net, etc. Users are able to switch to different maps for further manipulation according to their requirements. Functions supported by TTDSS The TTDSS website offers map viewing functions, theme map switching tools and relevant plan query functions to build and overlay map data on the base map, enabling transport administrators to realize the position and the influence area of transport development plans. Besides, the TTDSS system also provides common map navigation functions. Through overlaying base maps like topographic map, land-use map and population density map, the administrators can easily realize the topographic limitation, distribution of peripheral industries and population of each plan district to make effective decisions for transport plans. Conclusion Efficient public transit system is a key to meeting transportation demands increased by the growth of population, rising fuel prices and urban planning. Taiwan Transportation Decision Support System is designed to collect accurate transportation information for public transit agencies to better plan, schedule and manage the operations. GIS is used as an information tool in the planning and evaluating processes associated with transportation decision-making. TTDSS allows the transportation executives to better use and manage a variety of integrated information into the process of planning, helping them achieve their goals in a cost–effective manner. may 2013 geospatial TODAY | 33

Surveying

Using ground penetration radar, GPS antenna and digital cameras, researchers at the Politecnico di Milano have developed a novel technique for surveying underground utility structures with better accuracy and in lesser time. Read on to know more...

I

n many countries, a detailed knowledge of the location of the elements of underground utility lines, such as pipes, ducts, cables, etc. that serve both civil and industrial users, is often missing. Therefore, the installation of new facilities needs an ad-hoc underground survey. One of the most used methods to determine underground utility position and geometry up to a few metres is the Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR), suitably georeferenced, which allows variable accuracies, depending on specific soil type and on the material of the utilities themselves. GPR is an active instrument that transmits electromagnetic radiation and 34 | geospatial TODAY may 2013

detects the reflected signals from subsurface structures to reconstruct them. It is typically mounted on a trailer pulled by hand or by a vehicle. The maximum allowable operating speed is around 15-20 km/h, however the daily productivity is usually around 3 km. In order to provide a three-dimensional representation of the surveyed underground objects, this GPR instrument must be planimetrically georeferenced with an accuracy of about 20-30 cm. This requirement is easily attainable using GNSS system in open sky conditions. Contrariwise, in urban areas, the presence of obstacles, such as high buildings, trees, tunnels etc.

One of the most used methods to determine underground utility position and geometry up to a few meters is the GroundPenetrating Radar (GPR).

causes frequent signal leakage and multipath interference, often leading to inadequate position accuracy when signal quality is poor or even to no positioning at all if the number of visible satellites is less than four. Usually, to overcome this limitation, an INS/GPS (GPS-aided Inertial Navigation System) is adopted. However, its accuracy decreases quite quickly over time, when less than four satellites are visible. The most recent systems allow a positioning error in an order not smaller than 10 cm after a complete GPS outage of almost one minute. Thus, this solution does not seem to be suitable for our aims, since the low speed of

Surveying

underground utility structures the GPR carrier can cause a very long period of GPS leakage and consequently unacceptable large drift errors. Moreover, inertial aided navigation is still rather expensive even if remarkable improvements in the field of low cost inertial systems (MEMS) have been done. Another possibility is the use of robotic total stations with auto-tracking able to auto-point a target placed on the GPR carrier. This solution is often applied to GPR surveying, especially in closed environments such as warehouses. Some drawbacks of this approach are the need for more stations and the frequent interruption of the line of sight, leading to loss of prism lock due

to car traffic and other obstacles nearby the roadway. Photogrammetry as a navigation system Photogrammetry can be useful as a low cost navigation system that can overcome GPS signal leakage in urban areas. Automatic image sequence orientation to support an INS/GPS system to overcome GPS outages has already been proposed (Chaplin and Chapman, 2001; Tao et al, 1999; Roncella et al, 2005). Some examples of Mobile Mapping Systems (MMS) that use photogrammetry as a backup when navigation solution is not available are

GPR is an active instrument that transmits electromagnetic radiation and detects the reflected signals from subsurface structures to reconstruct them.

presented in El-Sheimy et al, 1995; Hassan et al, 2007 too. In those cases, the position of the first and last frame, where the INS/GPS solution is available, are introduced in the bundle block adjustment as observed parameters. During GPS outages, a joined application of position and orientation data of a low–grade IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) with Structure and Motion (S&M) reconstruction is possible. Forlani et al., 2005 demonstrated that a purely photogrammetric approach can be used to define the vehicle trajectory in case of long GPS outages, and Da Silva et al., 2003 developed a prototype may 2013 geospatial TODAY | 35

Surveying

In order to provide a threedimensional representation of the surveyed underground objects, this GPR instrument must be planimetrically georeferenced with an accuracy of about 20-30 cm.

Figure 1: Detail of the antenna and one camera mounted on the vehicle roof

of MMS in which, in order to keep the system cheaper, photogrammetry alone was used to supply GPS outages. The major limitation of this approach is the drift of the solution; however in this case the drift is a function of covered distance, and not of time as for INSs. Concerning the achievable accuracy, Forlani et al., 2005 demonstrated that the projection centres of a sequence of front stereo image acquired on a mobile van over a path of 300 m can be determined with an error in the order of 1 m.

performing some simulations in the city of Milan.

However, this result can be improved by adding some additional constraints, e.g. considering some ground control points (GCP) of known coordinates. We propose to solve the photogrammetric problem with a bundle block adjustment, by using some GCPs whose coordinates are obtained from a large-scale map. In fact, the façades of the buildings located on the roadside can potentially provide a high number and a good distribution of tie points, allowing the utilization of matching algorithms as well. A recent study (Barzaghi et al., 2009) demonstrated the potential of such a solution,

The investigated method requires one or more digital cameras and a GPS antenna mounted on a trailer carrying the GPR.


Because this approach is quite demanding, particularly concerning the required time for post-processing and the tricky automation of some steps, we consider the photogrammetric strategy just as a backup solution whenever GPS positioning is not available with the desired accuracy. Both techniques are meant to collect data simultaneously, but not all gathered images are processed. The proposed approach

The best configuration seems to be the one with the cameras pointing rightwards in the direction of the building façade. This configuration ensures minimal image scaling and rotation thereby strengthening the solution and simplifying tie points extraction on the overlapping area. The cameras are pointing towards the building façades on the right side with its axis approximately perpendicular to them so that

one photogrammetric strip is acquired at each pass of the trail. To georeference the photogrammetric strip, the interior and exterior orientation parameters have to be determined. First of all, a camera calibration is performed in order to estimate the interior orientation of the camera. The interior orientation parameters so estimated can be considered constant over the survey. Using robust S&M algorithms, homologous points can be extracted. The exterior orientation parameters change quickly as the vehicle moves: they can be reconstructed with a bundle block adjustment procedure, constrained with GCP coordinates automatically extracted from a large scale digital map. Obviously, the position of the GPR antenna can be determined because the navigation systems (camera or GPS antenna) are rigidly attached on it. The position of the GPS antenna phase centre and the rigid transformation (rototranslation) from the camera system to a vehicle-fixed reference system can be determined during a calibration stage. With the aim to ensure the greatest possible automation, we developed specific scripts for the extraction of GCPs from large scale map. The interest operator (SURF), implemented into the used software (EyeDEA) (Roncella et al., 2011), has proven successful at extracting homologous points from building façades with different lighting condition and camera angles. However, we verified that the presence of obstacles can lead to an unfavourable configuration of the extracted tie points, especially when they are far from the cameras. We also studied various camera configurations. From our tests, the preferable configuration ensuring good overlap between subsequent

Photogrammetry can be useful as a low cost navigation system that can overcome GPS signal leakage in urban areas.

Figure 2: Example of automatic tie points extraction

frames and not requiring too frequent shoots was the one with two slightly converging cameras. Tests We performed some kinematic tests with the purpose to simulating the operating conditions. We equipped the vehicle with two cameras rigidly fixed to a bar mounted on the vehicle carrier and two GPS antennas. The two cameras were remotely controlled with a laptop and shooted almost synchronously (with a difference of just few milliseconds). For each camera, the image acquisition times were stored in PC time units in an ASCII file, thanks to a remote control software written on purpose. The conversion from the shoot times of the two cameras to GPS time has been performed by software as well: the GPS time was stored together with the PC time and then the transformation between the two time scales was estimated via least-squares interpolation. Because of the large number of the acquired images, we decided to downsample them in less critical areas (e.g. in correspondence of well texture

surfaces). We verified that this operation did not affect the photogrammetric block accuracies, but decreased a lot of the required computational time. We also performed a second kinematic test following different routes. We did the test around three building blocks to define closed trajectories, because of their advantage to give a feedback of the photogrammetric solution, avoiding at the same time the solution drift that characterized the previous kinematic test. We did our survey in a residential area, characterized by the presence of low buildings, which could allow signal reception, even in urban environment. In this way we compute two different solutions: the first based on the cartography solution alone and the second one integrating within the solution also 4 GPS control points. We evaluated the accuracy of the photogrammetric solution in comparison with the GPS one: we transferred the GPS solution on the camera centre (thanks to the calibration vector), in order to verify if the camera projection centres are determined in both cases within the required tolerance.

Results In general, the proposed method has proven reliable and the results are in agreement with the accuracy needed to georeference the GPR antenna. However, during the kinematic test, we verified that the photogrammetric solution is highly dependent on the goodness of the used GCPs. Obviously, the map showed a variable accuracy in different town areas. There are also outliers due to map georeferencing errors or changes in urban environment. Thus, it is essential to integrate in the solution some GPS points too, that allow outliers rejection. The GPS positions could be easily acquired at the beginning and at the end of the strip or in correspondence with open spaces, such as squares or intersections. Because the building corners are all aligned, some height point measurements (with lower precision) have been proved to allow a better constraining of the strip. The proposed method will soon be engineered. It will be used in Italy, together with GPR to realize the stringing of cables and pipes in urban areas.

Noemi E Cazzaniga, PhD [email protected]

D Pagliari, Dr.Eng

[email protected]

L Pinto, Prof

[email protected] DICA – Geodesy and Geomatics Section Politecnico di Milano Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32 Milan Italy may 2013 geospatial TODAY | 37

Land Records

T

he Government of India has initiated a centrally-sponsored scheme called the National Land Records Modernization Programme (NLRMP) by merging the existing Computerization of Land Records (CLR) and Strengthening of Revenue Administration and Updating of Land Records (SRA&ULR) in the Department of Land Resources (DoLR), Ministry of Rural Development. The integrated programme would modernize management of land records, minimize scope of land/property disputes, enhance transparency in the land records maintenance system, and facilitate moving eventually towards guaranteed conclusive titles to immovable properties in the country. National Land Records Modernization Programme (NLRMP) Initiated in 2008, the goal of NLRMP is to achieve real time,

up-to-date land records with the ultimate aim of ushering in the system of conclusive titles. And it is desired by states that, there should be a single agency at state level to coordinate implementation of various components of NLRMP, as it envisages functional integration of various departments of the state dealing with the land records, e.g. registration, revenue, survey and consolidation etc. Once all the data such as textual data (including the records of rights (RoRs), mutation data and other land attributes, Spatial data (village maps with parcel boundaries, ladder data on individual land parcels or tippans or field measurement books (FMBs) or gat maps, are digitized, validated and linked together, computerized and

Initiated in 2008, the goal of NLRMP is to achieve real time, up-to-date land records with the ultimate aim of ushering in the system of conclusive titles.

digitized RoRs can be issued to property owners. The data integration software facilitates citizen services, some of which are: • RoR with plot map (parcel map), showing dimensions of each side, area and the adjoining plots. • Deriving various maps based on possessions, land use classifications, sizes of plots, sources of irrigation, types of crops etc. • Textual RoR updation in sync with spatial data updation. Integrating the existing data The vision is to create a Centralized Land Information Management System, where all the existing/new data would be ingested into a Central

Modernising

land records management


Data Dissemination

Data Ingestion CAD Files Scanned Cadastral Maps Field Measurement Books (FMB) Survey / Re-Survey using TS & DGPS Satellite/Aerial Photographs Textual ROR data

Data Validation Linking of Spatial and Nonspatial Data Geometric Anomalies Edge Matching Fabric Adjustments

Publish Over Web for citizen services Computerization of Registration. Single Portal for handling all updates (spatial/non-spatial) Analysis and reports for authorities

Central Land Information Database

Intergraph’s GeoMedia Suite of Products are a powerful GIS management package that enables you to realize the maximum value of your geospatial resources, integrating them to present clear and actionable information.

Figure 1: Land Information Management System

Land Information Database, validated to check for errors/ problems and then disseminated either over internet or intranet for citizen services and/or for internal use via portal to handle all the update and/ or computerized registration process (refer Figure 1). A single

common platform to ingest the data from various existing sources like Cadastral Maps, Field Measurement Books (FMBs) and Computer-Aided Design and Drawing (CAD) files (like dwg files) and to capture data from Aerial Photography and High Resolution Satellite

imagery coupled with all the Data Validation tools are needed. Intergraph has provided many a solutions worldwide for similar programmes across the globe. Intergraph offered the best solutions both in functionality and cost-effectiveness. Many customers worldwide use Intergraph technology to implement the modern Land Information Management system. The Intergraph system makes it easier for governments to make decisions on value propositions and the exchange of land parcels. Intergraph’s GeoMedia Desktop suite coupled with Leica’s Airborne Cameras, Total stations and DGPS best suits this purpose (refer Figure 2). Intergraph’s GeoMedia Suite of Products are

Providing conclusive titles to all properties across India and modernisation of land records management is the vision of NLRMP programme. Vishnu Boorla explores how Intergraph solutions can aid in efficient implementation of the programme in a cost-effective manner


Land Records

Data Dissemination

Data Ingestion

GeoMedia Server Suite© GeoMedia Smart Client GeoMedia Web Map

GeoMedia Desktop Suite© Erdas Imagine and LPS GeoMedia Pro GeoMedia Parcel Manager Leica TS and DGPS

Data Validation GeoMedia Desktop Suite© Erdas Imagine GeoMedia Pro GeoMedia Fusion

Central Land Information Database

It provides simultaneous access to geospatial data from disparate data sources, uniting them in a single map view for efficient processing, analysis, presentation, and sharing. The key aspect of this is to not get locked into any proprietary data formats thereby locking the system to one specific technology provider. The open architecture of GeoMedia Data Servers makes it the best and most efficient for complicated programmes like NLRMP, where integrating the existing disparate data source is the key in creating the Central Land Information Database. Typical workflows The following workflows are anticipated to be essential in creating the Central Land Information Database: • Ingesting cadastral maps • Integrating un-sourced AutoCAD file (dwg) data using fabric adjustments • Survey/re-survey data using Field Measurement Book (FMBs) 40 | geospatial TODAY may 2013

registrar offices, sub-divisions, districts and the State/UT Data Centers for enabling online data updation, easy access and sharing of data. In order to achieve functional integration among the tehsils, districts, SROs and State data centres, one would need a robust multitier architectural system which would: • have the capability to create workflows centrally and deploy to various nodes, • which is non-browser yet a Web based solution,

Figure 2: Software Mapping

a powerful GIS management package that enables you to realize the maximum value of your geospatial resources, integrating them to present clear and actionable information.

The open architecture of GeoMedia Data Servers makes it the best and most efficient for complicated programmes like NLRMP, where integrating the existing disparate data source is the key in creating the Central Land Information Database.

• Creating maps using aerial photography / high resolution satellite imagery. Creating new data of future Having created the Central Land Information Database using the above mentioned techniques, now moving forward Land Administration, Revenue and Records are maintained using the Central Land Records Database. The vision is to have a computer center at the tehsil/sub-division necessary for maintaining the village-wise property records and for easier services for the citizens. These Tehsil/sub-division level centers should roll into the district level database which should be maintained for data analysis, planning, verification, etc. at the district level. District Computer Centre collates the land records data of all the sub-divisions and tehsils in the respective districts. All the district level data centers should further collate data into a single State Level Data Center for each State. All the Land Records offices from the state level to tehsil level would be connected and at each center should have appropriate access to data and function as per the defined hierarchy. This would be a centralized architecture connecting the tehsils, sub-

• which can work both offline and online, • which has the capability of dimensions based digitizing, • which has snapping, construction aids, etc. for accurate and reliable vector data editing, • which works well even with low band-width situations, • which is scalable and does not has any costs associated with increase in client side usage • And yet has simple and easy to use interface. Intergraph’s GeoMedia® Smart Client best suites this requirement. GeoMedia Smart Client is multi-tier application with the Smart Application Server talking to the Spatial Data and Metadata on the Database server and then data being streamed either over internet or intranet on to a Web based client on the Client side. The Smart Client Application Server and the Database server could reside at one central location at state level. And from there, administrators can deploy the data and the custom workflows specific to the users need using the simple and easy Administrator console and Workflow Manager on the Smart Client Application Server.

Data Creators

Data Users

New/Edit/Updates spatial and non-spatial data

Users view the data over web to View and Pront

interface, workflows, and built-in data validation.

Internet/ Intranet

Load balancing

(software or Hardware)

SmartClient Application Servers

Ethernet

Database Server Cluster Spatial Data & Metadata

Figure 3: System Architecture

GeoMedia smart client To address enterprise space, Smart Client supports a number of core functions that enable organisations to: • Use workflow configuration and rules definition tools to implement highly focused

and efficient workflows without the need of developing and maintaining extensive and expensive custom code. • Reduce training overhead while increasing productivity and data quality with Smart Client’s task-driven user

• Increase information sharing and re-use with Smart Client’s controlled and coordinated user access, data models, and workflows while avoiding the inefficiencies, errors, and risks that arise when departments work in data silos. • Remove the cost of installing and administering desktop (even browser-based) software by offering selfconfiguring Web deployment and the option to deliver technical applications via SaaS (Software as a Service) and the Cloud.

Vishnu Boorla Intergraph

International SOS and IDV Solutions announce groundbreaking partnership

I

nternational SOS, the world’s leading medical and security services provider, and IDV Solutions, the leading physical security and risk visualization software company, announced an exclusive long-term commercial and technological partnership that offers their customers an extended range of options for tracking and protecting travelers, expatriates, employees and assets. International SOS’ TravelTracker and IDV Solutions Visual Command Center provide two distinct, yet complementary solutions to navigate some of the most challenging business environments. Used together, the two linked platforms will share data, offering an expanded and sophisticated solution for risk awareness and response. TravelTracker and Visual Command Center will deliver increased situational awareness for travelers, expatriates, employees and assets. This information will be visualized with International SOS security and medical alerts, other sources of risk (like severe weather, terrorism, natural disasters, traffic, and more), and additional internal commercial information (like the location of supply lanes or operations). “This places us at the cutting edge of travel risk management technology,” said Tim Daniel, International SOS Group Executive Vice President. “We’re very pleased to introduce IDV Solutions, a market leader and a strong partner, to our clients who are looking for a broader tracking solution and risk visualization.” With access to International SOS’ extensive global network of medical and security travel expertise, IDV Solutions will offer newly enhanced risk intelligence for its successful Visual Command Center. “This is about opening new doors as we grow our business,” said Mark Morrison, CEO of IDV Solutions. “International SOS brings to the table relationships built over decades and we’re excited about the opportunity to work together to provide an end-to-end solution.”


Land management

Optimising land use

A study has been conducted in the Jamni river basin to classify land based on soil composition and its capabiities. Accordingly land capability classification maps are prepared which help in deciding the best application of the land. This helps in making optimum use of land in a sustainable manner. Ram Singh and AS Jadhav from the University of Mumbai give an acount of the work done.


L

and is the most valuable natural resource which needs to be harnessed according to its potential. Due to over exploitation and mismanagement of natural resources coupled with socio-economic factors, the problem of land degradation is on the rise. However, management of land resources is inevitable for both continued agricultural productivity and protection of the environment. Land is a limited resource and with increasing population, the demands for land become more competitive. Any given area of land can have a multitude of potential uses and all may need to be considered in planning and management of land resource. As a source for primary production system, it serves as a store of water and nutrients required for plants and other living organisms. The use of land should be determined based on its capabilities, which is governed by the different land attributes such as the types of soil, its depth and texture, underlying geology, topography, hydrology, etc. These attributes limit the extent of land available for various purposes. To get the

which the use of land is restricted for particular purposes only. United States Department of Agriculture (1973) has provided specific guidelines for land capability classification. Here, for the present study USDA’s LCC system has been adopted which includes eight classes of land designated by Roman numerals from I to VIII. The first four classes are suitable for agriculture in which the limitation on their use and necessity of conservation measures requires a careful management increasing from I to IV. The remaining four classes, V to VIII, are not to be used for agriculture, but may have uses for pasture, range, woodland, grazing and wildlife purposes. The criteria for placing a given area in a particular class involves the landscape location, slope of the field depth; texture and land use/ land cover (Tide man, 1990). Ekanayake, G.et al., (2003) has also made an attempt to indentify land suitability by applying GIS technique.

Sr. No. Characteristics 1.

Soil type

22-0

2.

Soil fertility status

20-10 12-10

3.

Soil depth

4.

Organic matter content

4-1

5.

Rainfall

10-4

6.

Irrigability

10 to -5

7.

Land slope

10 to -25

8.

Soil reaction

2 to -12

9.

Natural hazards

10 to -12

Table: 1: Numerical weightage awarded to various characteristics for the study area Any given area of land can have a multitude of potential uses and all may need to be considered in planning and management of land resource.

The common way of determination of land quality, capability and characteristics is mainly by assessing and grouping the land types in orders and classes according to their aptitude. The basic principle for soil and water conservation is to use the land according to its capability and treat the land according to its nature. Land capability classification considers various hazards like soil and water erosion, water logging, land degradation etc., based on

Land suited for cultivation (Figure 2):

Class iii Severe limitation in use, regular cultivation possible (Red colour)

Land capability is known as carrying capacity of the land. Land capability classification is a systematic arrangement of different kinds of land according to those properties that determine the ability of land to produce on a virtually permanent basis. Suitability for cultivation is assumed to include the use of machinery that is at least of ploughs, tillage implements, harvest equipments and the capability for at least a moderate yield of one or more crops with suitable treatment and protective measures. The eight land capability classes range from the best and most easily formed land, to land which has no value for cultivation, grazing or forestry, but may be suited for wild life, recreation or for watershed protection. In the present study, based on the capability component, the Jamni

Basin area has been divided into six group of land suited for different purposes. The land capability classification is as follows:

Class ii Moderate limitation in the use, good land (Yellow colour)

Land capability clasification

maximum benefit out of the land, proper use is inevitable. Sustainable development occurs only when management goals and actions are ecologically viable, economically feasible and socially desirable.

Range of marks allotted

Figure 1: Location Map may 2013 geospatial TODAY | 43

Land management

Sr. No.

Land classes

Range of Marks allotment

1.

I

91-100

2.

II

73-90

3.

III

52-72

4.

IV

38-51

5.

V

26-37

6.

VI

15-25

7.

VII

0 -12

8.

VIII

100 - Intergraph Corporation

100 - Intergraph Corporation

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