OREANDA-NEWS. April 30, 2015. The Department of Space and Department of Land Resources (DoLR), Ministry of Rural Development signed an MoU on development of Web Geo Portal ‘Shrishti’ and Mobile App ‘Drishti’ for Monitoring of IWMP watersheds through Bhuvan in New Delhi today. The MoU was signed by Dr. Sandeep Dave, Joint Secretary, Department of Land Resources and Dr. V K Dadhwal, Director, NRSC in the presence of Union Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Chaudhary Birender Singh and the Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (Independent Charge), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh.

The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), ISRO in partnership with DoLR is designing and developing the required technological interventions for the monitoring and evaluation of Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) watersheds through the Bhuvan Geo-Web portal -SRISHTI. In addition, a Mobile Application – DRISHTI has also been developed that will integrate field level activities and their monitoring with Bhuvan portal.

The Government of India has been implementing the erstwhile Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IMWP), now the Watershed Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) since 2009-10. The activities of the programme include ridge area treatment, drainage line treatment, soil and moisture conservation, rain water harvesting, nursery raising, afforestation, horticulture, pasture development, livelihoods for asset less persons etc. A total of 8214 projects covering 39.07 million ha have been sanctioned in 28 States upto 2014-15. Considering the vastness and diversity of the activities undertaken in the programme, use of space technology is very apt for monitoring and evaluation of such a programme.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that we are at par with any other country in the world in the area of space technology. He said that during the recent crisis of floods in Jammu and Kashmir, when the state was cut off from other parts of country, it is this technology that came to their help. He also said that ISRO is also working with other ministries including Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD), Earth Sciences, Water Resources etc and helping these ministries to improve their efficiency with the help of space technology. In Human Resource Development Ministry, more than 80 tele education networks have been set up with the help of ISRO. The ISRO is also engaged with various ministries regarding their requirements of space technology for good governance.

The Minister said that for any technology to be successful, it should have social applications along with the economic viability, only then the technology can sustain in the long-term.

He termed the ISRO’s yesterday’s achievement of test firing the indigenous cryogenic engine as a step towards fulfillment of Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Make in India’. Now India is in the position to launch heavy satellites on its own and need not depend on foreign countries for assistance.

The Union Minister for Rural Development, Chaudhary Birender Singh complimented ISRO for this work and quoted it as an exercise of national importance and said that it will be very useful for watershed management in the country.

Dr. A. S. Kiran Kumar, Chairman, ISRO and senior officials of Ministry of Rural Development and Department of Space were also present on the occasion.