Annual Report 1999-2000

Societal Programmes

Natural Resources Data Management System (NRDMS)

Objectives

The programme is working towards the upgradation of the data management methodologies for drawing up area specific developmental strategies, at district and sub-district level using the concept of Geographic Information System (GIS). The spatial data management technologies are being demonstrated through a network of District level GIS centres spread over 10 different states of the country.

Concerted efforts are also being made to devolop indigenous GIS software and decision support modules in the sectors of Landuse planning, Water resource management, Energy management and Infrastructure development. During the current year, new areas of research like SAR interferometry, groundwater modelling and geotechnical investigations of landslides have also been initiated. Manpower development has been strengthened through training /workshops in identified areas of research relevant to the NRDMS programme.

District Database Centres

The following centres were set up in the current year:

• State centre at Gangtok, Sikkim.
  
• District centre at Gorakhpur and Deoria in U.P.
  
• District Centre at Jhunjunu district of Rajasthan.
  

The following centres were handed over to the respective state governments for maintanence and utilisation of the database for planning :

• District centres, at Mau & Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh
  
• District Centres at Mysore, Dakshina Kannada and Dharwad in Karnataka.
  
• Technical backup is being extended to all the centres to keep them upto date with regard to the developments in database management.
  

Sub-programmes under NRDMS - Landslide studies

Responding to the incidences of landslides in the Himalayan region during July- August 1998, wherein major damage to life and property had occurred, the Department of Science and Technology constituted a Steering Committee and three Task Forces to provide a focus to the various agencies engaged in research activities related to Landslides.

The first meeting of the Steering Committee was held in July 1999 and the following recommendations emerged :

• Setting up of a national database on landslides, through Geological Survey of India.
  
• Setting up Geo-technical control units on pilot basis at Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.
  
• Explore the possibility of setting up of Geo-technical research unit with in the Border Road Organisation.
  
• Create core facilities to Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology to carryout geo-technical studies.
  

The three taskforces that were recommended to be constituted are:

• Taskforce on Landslide Hazard Zonation by Geological Survey of India.
  
• Taskforce on Geotechnical Investigations on Landslides by Department of Science & Technology.
  
• Taskforce on Landuse zoning and regulations by Ministry of Environment & Forests.
  

The taskforce on Geotechnical Investigations by DST, selected the following five sites for detailed investigation and monitoring of critical parameters:

• Chanmari Landslide - Sikkim
  
• Karshinga Landslide - Arunachal Pradesh
  
• Sher-Ka-Danda slide - in Nainital
  
• Powari landslide - Himachal Pradesh
  
• Nathpa landslide - Himachal Pradesh
  

To achieve this goal specific R&D projects have been supported to the identified research and academic institutions.

Hydrology of Small Watersheds

The International Committee on Runoff defines a small watershed as the region affecting the peak runoff by overland flow rather than the channel flow. Consequently, the small watershed is a sensitive zone to high intensity rainfall of short duration and to the changes in landuse pattern, in contrast to the larger watershed wherein the effect of channel flow or the basin storage becomes very pronounced. Realising the importance of the problem and gaps in understanding, a coordinated program on "Hydrology of small watersheds" has been launched.

Under the program a pair of treated and untreated small watersheds (about 10 sq. km.) have been selected in the following regions:

• Dudhi and Bewas watersheds of Tawa basin in Raisen district of Madhya pradesh.
  
• Jojri and Jhanwar watersheds of Loni basin in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan.
  
• Chandrabhaga Garh and Danda watersheds in Garhwal district of Uttar Pradesh.
  
• Paykkara watershed in Attapady region of Palghat district of Kerala and Rampatna watershed in Kolar district of Karnataka.
  
• Two microwatersheds in the Loktak lake basin of Manipur.
  

Outputs expected out of these projects are:

• Generation of Integrated database for water sector at small watershed level for different Agro-climatic regions.
  
• Spatial Decision Support Systems (SDSS) for watershed management.
  
• Scientific indices for impact assessment of watershed management programmes.
  
• User manual for using the database and SDSSs.
  

The current status is as follows:

• Hydrometeorological instrumentation networks have been set up to collect rainfall, streamflow, suspended sediment yield, soil and water quality for long-term analysis in all identified watersheds.
  
• Contour, slope, aspect, land use/land cover, drainage, soil and hydro-geomorphology maps have been generated in analog and digital forms at 1:50,000 scale. Collateral data on socio-economy have also been collected.
  
• Hydrological models have been selected by the groups and data files are getting prepared for test run of them.
  

New Initiatives - SAR interferometry

The Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Interferometric technology is a newly emerging field having immense potentiality in detecting minute earth surface displacements to an accuracy of millimeters, when used in differential mode. This property is exploited in monitoring the minute earth deformations / movements caused by earthquakes and landslides, subsidence and glacial movement.

To promote and streamline the research activities, in different National Institutions, DST initiated the InSAR programme. An International Seminar on 'Recent Advances in Differential SAR Interferometry and its Applications' was organised between January 18-22,1999 at IIT Bombay, wherein 15 international experts and more than 100 Indian participants representing around 40 institutions participated. In this meet, the Indian InSAR group was formed with the following objectives:

• Promotion of research on SAR interferometry
  
• Dissemination of information related to SAR programmes
  
• Organise National / International workshops, Seminars etc.
  
• Bring-out News letter on InSAR activities
  
• Collection / development of software for SAR data processing
  

Two training programmes of four weeks duration and an advanced training course were organised at CSRE, IIT- Bombay, Mumbai. Nearly 60 scientists, drawn from various national organisations were trained in SAR interferometry principles and its applications.

Field experiments synchronous with SRTM Mission

The Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) is a cooperative effort between US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the US National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the German Space Agency (DLR). The planned 11day long mission aims at covering the entire globe between 60o N to 58o S, for acquisition of interferometric pairs useful in generating very accuarate Digital Elevation Models (DEM). NRDMS is supporting the field experiments synchronous with the shuttle pass to obtain accurate ground control points of the selected test sites. The programme is being co-ordinated by Centre of Studies in Resources Engineering, IIT Bombay and the other participating institutions are, (i) National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, (ii) RRSSC, Department of Space, GOI, Dehradun, (iii) Department of Earth Sciences, Roorkee University, Roorkee, (iv) Centre for Earth Science Studies, Trivandrum. The areas of study relates to earthquake, landslide, glaciers and hilly terrain. In this experiment, it is proposed to collect the required ground control points and apply them for generation of accurate DEM. The DEM thus generated would then be used as benchmark to monitor the minute variation in the crustal deformation & landform dynamics.

Bio-Geo Database & Ecological Modelling For Himalayas

Accelerated development of the Himalayan region is causing great stress on this ecologically fragile and bio-diversity rich ecosystem. NRDMS initiated this programme, to evolve a sustainable development plan, in an integrated mode, with a bearing on conservation of the rich bio-diversity of the region.

To concretise the approach, and areas of research to be taken up, a brain storming session was organized during March 4-5, 1999. Three transects in U.P and H.P have been identified for focussed research initiatives. The research areas include, studies related to soil, water, land-use, geology, climate, flora, fauna, and the socio-economic status of the local population.

Further, to concretise the action plan of the various participating agencies, a task-force has been constituted by DST in December 1999 for a period of one year.

Highlight of the R&D Projects completed during the year

Development Of An Effective Methodology For Marine Pollution Monitoring In An Industrial Urban Environment : A Remote Sensing Approach :

The study attempts to relate the pollutant levels of the water with the satellite derived data. Water sample from Thane creek was analysed and compared with satellite DN values using four standard statistical models. The study has indicated, (i) DN values indicate fairly good linear relation with pollution level. (ii) Chebysher Transformation approach indicate non-linear relation and an improved degree of correllation was seen when TSS and turbidity in multiple regression model. (iii) Chromaticity technique was inconsistant for highly turbid waters. Ten research publications and 4 M.Sc. / M.Tech. thesis were produced. Study suggests, better estimation with improvement in spectral resolution.

Integrated Landscape Assessment and Evolve Perspective Landuse Planning for Development Suitability of Madurai Metropolitan Region :

Twentyone firkas (land unit) have been studied around Madurai City. This study documents the changes in the landuse pattern and analyses the urban sprawl for 3 decades using satellite derived information. The spatial information thus generated have been used in a GIS platform to provide site suitability map for development of the fringe areas of this developing metropolis.

GIS Database for Planning and Monitoring of Regional Road Network :

Thirteen districts around Mumbai, within a radius of 250 Km. has been studied for Regional road network analysis. In this project the information on the roads available with the PWD and other government agencies like the Bureau of Economics and statistics, Panchayat office, State Police Department etc. have been collected and computerised to create the spatial database. The database thus created has been used effectively for (a) Accessibility & connectivity analysis (b) Network improvement (c) Traffic analysis (d) Route planning and (e) Economic and Financial Analysis. The project outputs have been demonstrated to the PWD officials and practical suggestions of the PWD department have been attempted in the project.

Natural Resource Survey for Integrated Development Using Remote Sensing Technology in Mansa District, Punjab :

The thematic information related to Landuse, geomorphology, drainage etc have been generated using the satellite images and have been used in conjunction with other spatial information derived from published information and attribute information taken from all the line departments to create the Spatial database of the district. This database has been further used in GIS analysis to create the action plan map of the district. The report contains 59 block wise maps generated on all themes, several tables and recommendations to be adopted for developmental planning.

Landslide Hazard Zonation Mapping using Remote Sensing and GIS Technologies in te Bhagirathi Valley in Garhwal Himalayas :

A qualitative weighted rating system has been adopted for landslide hazard zonation, on the basis of relative importance of causative factors and field knowledge. Five landslide hazard classes have been delineated for the study area and further the classification has been validated using the data collected during the fieldwork.

UNDP-NRDMS Project

Based on the recommendations of the mid-term technical review of the Project activities during November - December 1998, the duration of the Project was extended by a year from November 1999 up to December 2000. The following activities were completed during 1999-2000:

Integrated data model

An integrated data model was developed using the end-user need assessment in the four sectors of water conservation, land use, energy management and infrastructure location. The data model was mapped into a physical schema for the construction of GIS. Sample GIS applications were implemented for pilot demonstration at Kolar.

Software development - GRAM GIS upgradation

The GRAMNET module for location / allocation of resources and the QUERY module for querying on geographical data on a spatial mode were integrated with the core GRAM++ package. This facilitates analysis, querying and display of data directly from GRAM++ environment. The package is now being tested and evaluated. Two training workshops were organized in April and May, 1999 on GRAM++ for selected participants.

GIS design module (GEOAPP)

A software module - GEOAPP - helps to create and maintain the entity-relationship based conceptual geo-data model for the GIS databases at the district centers. Designed to update any existing geo-data model with minimal effort, the module provides a set of drawing and report generating tools for quick reference of the end-users.

DREAM data entry module

A data entry module - DREAM (Data Retrieval, Entry, And Management) - has been developed to help construct NRDMS databases at the district GIS centers. Built around the WINDOW based MS-ACCESS package, the module facilitates easy construction of NRDMS database on a pre-defined database structure.

SDSS for water use - GRAM++/SWAT interface

An interface has been developed between the GRAM++ GIS software package and the hydrological model based SWAT software module for exchange of data files. The exchange facilitates estimation of surface water run-off, silt yield, potential crop yield, and biomass in a micro-watershed utilizing the SWAT module by directly using data sets from GRAM++ package . A module to help delineate micro-watershed boundaries from digital elevation models has been added to GRAM++. The function when used in conjunction with the GRAM++/SWAT interface would help to model micro-watersheds and draw up local water budget. The interface is being built into the spatial decision support system (SDSS) for water management at district level.

Area development profile

Digital data sets (1:50,000) obtained from various survey agencies like Survey of India, National Atlas & Thematic mapping Organisation, National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, India Meteorological Department, Census of India, State Remote Sensing Centres were processed to bring them to a common format so as to construct integrated databases for the pilot districts of Bankura and Kolar. To bridge the data gaps encountered in the working of the SDSS, selected watersheds in the pilot districts of Bankura and Kolar were instrumented for generation of data through primary survey. Experimental digital elevation models (DEMs) were developed for Bankura and Kolar using synthetic aperture radar interferometric data to test the efficacy of such data and assess their accuracy. The integrated database is proposed to be used for preparation of development profiles for the selected study areas.

GIS tutor

To facilitate training of the scientists & staff of district level GIS centers, the zilla panchayats and line departments, a preliminary design of the GIS tutor has been drawn up and a prototype developed around GRAM++ GIS package. The tutor is designed to teach the principles of GIS using applications developed on GRAM++. Presently, the tutor is being refined and tested.

Consultants & fellowships

Five consultants from Australia, South Africa, UK, USA, and Yugoslavia provided expert consultancy to the project. Eight scientists were deputed to the Netherlands and the USA on training fellowships during the year.

Creation of NRDMS website

To demonstrate / promote the activities of NRDMS and share the experiences within the scientific community across the globe and open new avenues for information exchange, a website is under development. It is planned to make it operational by March 2000. State Councils For Science & Technology

The scheme has numerous objectives aimed at upliftment of social-economic conditions of various states through application of Science & Technology. DST effort, though catalytic, had served a very important purpose of establishing State S&T structures and gearing up these structures to assume the role of a prime mover in planning and implementing S&T activities. State S&T Councils and DST are now initiating programmes where resources and technologies are being pooled together to have visible impact. The efforts initiated in the past two - three years have made some headway in this direction.

The focus now is on systematic identification of location specific problems and their solution through S&T inputs. Efforts are being made to demonstrate successful projects of one State S&T Council in other States for suitable modifications. The successful projects of Central S&T Agencies are also encouraged for demonstration.

During the year, State S&T Councils were encouraged and facilitated to formulate proposal to study and addross location specific problems through S&T intervention.

The main activities during 1999-2000 are enumerated below: -

Demonstration Projects

DST has supported installation of micro-hydel power generation units based on cross flow turbine technology developed by Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore with DST support at Manipur, Nagaland and Sikkim. These projects are in various stages of implementation.

As a part of department's efforts to encourage replication/ demonstration of successful technologies developed by a State S&T Council in other States, initiatives were also taken to support setting up demonstration pollution control Units in Cupola furnaces at UP and Bihar. The effort to encourage replication of solar passive housing technology and air pollution control device for cupola furnace have resulted in supporting such units at Manipur and U.P. & Bihar respectively. Setting up of demonstration solar passive unit at Manipur is progressing satisfactorily.

Studies/ Surveys of interest to States:

DST (GOI) is supporting studies/ surveys to identify location specific problems in respective States. The projects received from Assam State S&T Council on " Identification of location specific problems for S&T intervention" and "Survey documentation and validation of technologies for fishing crafts" from Manipur State S&T Council are progressing satisfactorily.

Participation of State Councils in Exhibitions:

A Workshop-cum-Exhibition on " Strategy & Initiative for Transformation of Rural areas" (SRISTI) is being planned. The exhibition would give an opportunity to demonstrate successful development oriented technologies developed by various State S&T councils and Central S&T Agencies and facilitate horizontal transfer of technology amongst State S&T Councils.

State Council Meetings :

At the State level, DST participated in the General Body/ Executive Committee meeting of State S&T Councils of West Bengal, UttarsPraeesh, Punjab, Harlan, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Nagaland, Madhya Pradesh etc. DST also participated in State S&T Plan Working Group discussions organised by the Planning Commission for S& T allocation for various States.

Support to S&T Secretariats :

Support has been continued for S&T Secretariats of 25 State S&T Councils. Special efforts made during the previous years to persuade Nagaland and Pondicherry State S&T Council to strengthen their secretariat have been successful and support has been provided to both the councils. This secretariat support has been critical in facilitating State S&T Councils in Planning, formulating and implementing S&T activities/ programmes at State level.

The project on Training/ Orientation programmes for officials of State S&T Councils is progressing following a computer based training approach with tutorials and quizzes incorporated into the material. The first face -to face Training Programme is planned to take place during the year.

Experience Sharing :

A Regional Meeting of State S&T Councils/ Departments of Northern Region was organised during October12-13,1999. A number of areas such as food preservation, Biofertilisers, solid waste management, water management, aquaculture, bio fertilisers, etc. were identified for mutual cooperation. Regional Meeting of State S&T Councils/ Departments of North Eastern Region is planned during March 2000.

Information Exchange:

In order to promote horizontal exchange of information between State S&T Councils, seven issues of new version of State S&T Newsletter SNAPSHOT has been brought out. It has been proposed to augment the print media with the electronic media and a web page for State S&T Councils would be set up by June 2000. State S&T Councils have also been equipped with E-mail/Internet facility.