The Natural Resources Data Management System (NRDMS) is an initiative of Department of Science and Technology of Government of India, conceived to help Policy makers and planners to formulate developmental strategy. In doing so, they have the advantage of the progress made in recent years in the methodologies designed to collect, archive and process the multidisciplinary ground data
This basic data on land, its people and the natural resources has been collected since several decades by multiple national and private organizations on varying scales. Initially, the size and data population was restricted only to major parameters but gradually with advancement of the science and development of methodologies in data collection, it was possible to gather a wealth of data over a large terrain for several parameters in a short time and store in a more convenient format for retrieval at a desired time, for use in governance or for research purposes.
This changed scenario, especially the support and application of computers and tools of Information Technology, with application of indigenously developed GIS package, Geo Referenced Area Management (GRAM++) on Windows 95/NT platform has enabled quicker data mining and its use. The development of spatial data management tools has further made the application and research in this field possible giving impetus to micro level, integrated panchayat and district level planning. India has been making tremendous inroads in the sphere of information technology and has been keeping pace with the developments being made internationally. It is rightly being considered to be one of the main sources, globally, of intellectual force behind the new developments taking place in this field.
Several governmental agencies such as:
- Survey of India (SOI),
- Geological Survey of India (GSI),
- Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM),
- Space Application Centre (SAC) of ISRO,
- Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) of DRDO and its numerous laboratories,
- National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS),
- Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG),
- Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG),
- Botanical Survey of India (BSI),
- Zoological Survey of India (ZSI),
- National Atlas & Thematic Mapping Organization (NMTMO),
- Central Ground Water Board (CGWB),
- National Institute of Hydrology (NIH),
- Census of India,
- Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS & LUP),
- India Meteorological Department (IMD),
- Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM),
- National Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NMRWF) Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS),
- National Centre for Seismology (NCS), National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR),
- National Institute of Oceanography (NIO),
- Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE),
- Fishery Survey of India (FSI), Central Marine Fishery Research Institute (CMFRI),
- Wild Life Institute of India (WII), etc are engaged in collecting, updating and collating the database in the field of their respective expertise.
As a result of such concerted efforts, the nation has developed huge databases that cover nearly all important fields of living and non living natural resources, basic data on demographic details, socio-economics, agro-economy, rainfall and other met parameters as well as basic data on infrastructure with village/ district as the basic unit.
The SOI, for example, has prepared topographical maps of entire India on varying scales but more commonly on 1:50,000, which give information of infrastructure such as roads, railway lines, rivers, canals and all important structures that can be projected on that scale.
The lateral distances and vertical heights are depicted. The contours along with heights above mean sea level of some triangulation points help in linking the sites to such trigonometric positions. The use of aerial photography and photogrammetric tools has enabled SOI to map difficult Himalayan and other inaccessible terrains. These maps serve as a basic tool for plotting other detailed subject wise database and prepare hundreds of thematic maps such as soil and agronomic maps (Fig 1), satellite image maps (Fig 2), Seismic zonation map maps (Fig 3) and maps showing distribution of economic minerals. Geological maps, earthquake risk and coastal management maps etc. may be quoted in this line. The list is unending.
Fig 1. Soil map of Karnataka.
Fig. 2. Satellite Map of parts of Bengaluru (Roads and Buildings)
Fig.3. Seismic Zonation map of India
Applicability in Governance:
Most of the above information is linked to location of the site of data in 3-D form or in latitudes, longitudes and vertical height (the coordinate system) i.e. it is spatial. The integration of Geographical Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) into spatial datasets has increased the accuracy and ease of adoptability of the information for various governance purposes. Need for collating this vast data and information into a system that can be used by governmental and private bodies has given rise to the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI).
This spatial information on natural resources, cultural and environmental aspects is available at the local/state and national levels for concerned authorities for putting to use in decision making towards formulation and execution of socio-economic/ developmental programs for communities. The spatial database will come handy for infra-structure development and disaster management, especially during natural calamities such as floods, droughts, landslides, earthquakes etc.
The proposed developments of “e-superhighways” and “going digital” movement of Government of India, have opened new vistas of data sharing. The fast way of sharing the data would greatly help in coordination and cooperation efforts between sister organizations and adjoining districts as well as between state and national Bodies, especially, for hazard mitigation activities.
To quote some examples: the mapping of active landslide areas, mapping of glacial lakes under threat of outburst (GLOF), preparation of microzonation maps of earthquake prone districts – installation of seismometers and activation of Tsunami prediction Centres, mapping of coastal regions, especially of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu likely to be inundated by cyclones and linkages of this and similar data with district/ state and central agencies demonstrates how the National Spatial Data Infrastructure can be of immense use to communities at ground level.
ISRO’s Annual Report for 2016-17 describes ‘the societal services offered by INSAT / GSAT satellites in the area of tele-education and telemedicine and that of the applications of Remote Sensing projects at National, State and Local levels through well-established multi-pronged implementation under NNRMS in the country. The Indian Remote Sensing Satellite constellation has helped in Agricultural Crops Inventory, Agricultural Drought, Forest Fire, Landslides and Earthquake Monitoring, Gas pipeline monitoring, Groundwater Prospects Mapping, Inventory, Monitoring of Glacial Lakes / Water Bodies and Satellite Aided Search & Rescue.’
Some of the societal programs where NRDMS / NSDI database is going to be developed for used by multiple agencies are :
- a) Development of village level geospatial information system, especially for health related issues,
- b) Revival of village ponds to store rain water to make up for water scarcity ,
- c) Ground water availability/ aquifer mapping in drought prone areas
- d) Water resource availability in different water sheds, or drinking and agricultural, purposes
- e) Geological and geotechnical mapping of vulnerable areas w .r .t. landslides in Uttarakhand and other Himalayan regions,
- f) Land records and land management
- g) Energy resource- thermal / hydro / solar
- h) Natural Disaster mitigation
- i) Identification and mapping of proglacial lakes that have potential of breaching.
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Steve Ovett, the famous British middle-distance athlete, won the 800-metres gold medal at the Moscow Olympics of 1980. Just a few days later, he was about to win a 5,000-metres race at London’s Crystal Palace. Known for his burst of acceleration on the home stretch, he had supreme confidence in his ability to out-sprint rivals. With the final 100 metres remaining,
[wptelegram-join-channel link=”https://t.me/s/upsctree” text=”Join @upsctree on Telegram”]Ovett waved to the crowd and raised a hand in triumph. But he had celebrated a bit too early. At the finishing line, Ireland’s John Treacy edged past Ovett. For those few moments, Ovett had lost his sense of reality and ignored the possibility of a negative event.
This analogy works well for the India story and our policy failures , including during the ongoing covid pandemic. While we have never been as well prepared or had significant successes in terms of growth stability as Ovett did in his illustrious running career, we tend to celebrate too early. Indeed, we have done so many times before.
It is as if we’re convinced that India is destined for greater heights, come what may, and so we never run through the finish line. Do we and our policymakers suffer from a collective optimism bias, which, as the Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman once wrote, “may well be the most significant of the cognitive biases”? The optimism bias arises from mistaken beliefs which form expectations that are better than the reality. It makes us underestimate chances of a negative outcome and ignore warnings repeatedly.
The Indian economy had a dream run for five years from 2003-04 to 2007-08, with an average annual growth rate of around 9%. Many believed that India was on its way to clocking consistent double-digit growth and comparisons with China were rife. It was conveniently overlooked that this output expansion had come mainly came from a few sectors: automobiles, telecom and business services.
Indians were made to believe that we could sprint without high-quality education, healthcare, infrastructure or banking sectors, which form the backbone of any stable economy. The plan was to build them as we went along, but then in the euphoria of short-term success, it got lost.
India’s exports of goods grew from $20 billion in 1990-91 to over $310 billion in 2019-20. Looking at these absolute figures it would seem as if India has arrived on the world stage. However, India’s share of global trade has moved up only marginally. Even now, the country accounts for less than 2% of the world’s goods exports.
More importantly, hidden behind this performance was the role played by one sector that should have never made it to India’s list of exports—refined petroleum. The share of refined petroleum exports in India’s goods exports increased from 1.4% in 1996-97 to over 18% in 2011-12.
An import-intensive sector with low labour intensity, exports of refined petroleum zoomed because of the then policy regime of a retail price ceiling on petroleum products in the domestic market. While we have done well in the export of services, our share is still less than 4% of world exports.
India seemed to emerge from the 2008 global financial crisis relatively unscathed. But, a temporary demand push had played a role in the revival—the incomes of many households, both rural and urban, had shot up. Fiscal stimulus to the rural economy and implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission scales had led to the salaries of around 20% of organized-sector employees jumping up. We celebrated, but once again, neither did we resolve the crisis brewing elsewhere in India’s banking sector, nor did we improve our capacity for healthcare or quality education.
Employment saw little economy-wide growth in our boom years. Manufacturing jobs, if anything, shrank. But we continued to celebrate. Youth flocked to low-productivity service-sector jobs, such as those in hotels and restaurants, security and other services. The dependence on such jobs on one hand and high-skilled services on the other was bound to make Indian society more unequal.
And then, there is agriculture, an elephant in the room. If and when farm-sector reforms get implemented, celebrations would once again be premature. The vast majority of India’s farmers have small plots of land, and though these farms are at least as productive as larger ones, net absolute incomes from small plots can only be meagre.
A further rise in farm productivity and consequent increase in supply, if not matched by a demand rise, especially with access to export markets, would result in downward pressure on market prices for farm produce and a further decline in the net incomes of small farmers.
We should learn from what John Treacy did right. He didn’t give up, and pushed for the finish line like it was his only chance at winning. Treacy had years of long-distance practice. The same goes for our economy. A long grind is required to build up its base before we can win and celebrate. And Ovett did not blame anyone for his loss. We play the blame game. Everyone else, right from China and the US to ‘greedy corporates’, seems to be responsible for our failures.
We have lowered absolute poverty levels and had technology-based successes like Aadhaar and digital access to public services. But there are no short cuts to good quality and adequate healthcare and education services. We must remain optimistic but stay firmly away from the optimism bias.
In the end, it is not about how we start, but how we finish. The disastrous second wave of covid and our inability to manage it is a ghastly reminder of this fact.