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CONTENTS – VOLUME 2, ISSUE 3, MAR 2006

Articles

What does our world really look like? RAINER MAUTZ 8 Gagan update ARJUN SINGH 12 Indian

prelude to British cadastral and revenue maps B ARUNACHALAM 22 Developing national SDI platform for Greece S ALEXIADOU AND A RAJABIFARD 28 Spatial and dynamic modeling techniques

NOVALINE JACOB AND KRISHNAN R 36 National GPS programme for earthquake hazard assessment

MANORANJAN MOHANTY 40

Columns

My Coordinates EDITORIAL 4 His Coordinates HIROSHI NISHIGUCHI 6 MAHESH CHANDRA 20 News INDUSTRY 14

GPS 16 GIS 18 REMOTE SENSING 20 GALILEO UPDATE 43 Tracking NSDI PS ACHARYA, RN NANDA AND A SINDAL 26 Mark your calendar APRIL TO NOVEMBER 42

cGIT 28A Pocket D, SFS Mayur Vihar Phase III, Delhi 110 096, India. Phones +91 11 22632607, 98107 24567, 98102 33422 Email [information] [email protected] [editorial] [email protected] [advertising] [email protected] [subscriptions] [email protected] Web www.mycoordinates.org

This issue has been made possible by the support and good wishes of the following individuals and companies A Rajabifard, Arjun Singh, A Sindal, B Arunachalam, Hiroshi Nishiguchi, Krishnan R, Mahesh Chandra, Manoranjan Mohanty, Novaline Jacob, PS Acharya, Rainer Mautz, RN Nanda, S Alexiadou and; Contex, CSI Wireless, HP, Leica, Navcom, PCI, Topcon, Trimble; and many others.

Coordinates is an initiative of cGIT that aims to broaden the scope of positioning, navigation and related technologies. cGIT does not neccesarily subscribe to the views expressed by the authors in this magazine and may not be held liable for any losses caused directly or indirectly due to the information provided herein. © cGIT, 2005. Reprinting with permission is encouraged; contact the editor for details. Annual subscription (12 issues) [India] Rs.1,200 [Overseas] US$80

Printed and published by Sanjay Malaviya on behalf of Centre for Geoinformation Technologies (cGIT) at A221 Mangal Apartments, Vasundhara Enclave, Delhi 110096, India. Editor Bal Krishna | Owner Centre for Geoinformation Technologies | Designer TSA Effects, www.tsafx.com | Printer Sonu Printer, A110 DDA Sheds, Okhla, New Delhi, India.

This issue of Coordinates is of 44 pages, including cover. MYCOORDINATES

Who owns the information?

Own, control, use and misuse.

That’s the story about information.

When search engines like Google, Yahoo and Micorsoft open new vistas of information access on the wagon of Information Technology, many feel the repercussions.

On one hand they indicate an era of ‘Information Democracy’, on the other hand many feel threatened by the possible fallout.

That’s obvious as neither the nature of the information nor the technology by which it is generated and disseminated is neutral.

They serve the intentions and interests of those who own them.

Hence, it is understandable when Google agrees to meet the censored conditions of Chinese government in its Chinese language version of its search engine.

On March 9, 2006 the Government of India told Parliament that steps had been taken to mask some areas of the imagery from Google Earth website that were causing concerns.

Whether such initiatives yield the desire result is yet to be seen.

The debate about the ‘right information’ and ‘rights on information’ is secondary.

The struggle is to own it.

Bal Krishna, Editor [email protected]

Our advisors Muneendra Kumar PhD, Chief Geodesist (Retired), US National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, USA, Naser El-Sheimy, PEng, CRC Professor, Department of Geomatics Engineering, The University of Calgary Canada, George Cho Associate Professor in GIS and the Law, University of Canberra, Australia, Prof Madhav N Kulkarni Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India Dr Abbas Rajabifard Deputy Director, Centre for SDI and Land Administration, University of Melbourne, Australia, Luiz Paulo Souto Fortes PhD Associate Director of Geosciences, Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics - IBGE, Brazil

4 March 2006 Coordinates Coordinates March 2006 5 HIS COORDINATES “The biggest GPS market in Japan is car navigation” says Dr Hiroshi Nishiguchi, Secretary General, Japan GPS Council while discussing the trends in GPS applications and market in Japan

What is Japan GPS Council? The biggest GPS market in Japan is in cradle stage. However, it is no- What does it do? the Car navigation and its synergy doubtful the LBS business would effects market such as VICS (Vehicle be the next big market in Japan The Japan GPS Council (JGPSC) was Information and Communication as well following Car-navigation. established in the end of 1992, as a Services) which provides the traffi c The QZSS will have a key for non-profi t voluntary body composed jam information and route guidance. marketability of the LBS, with the of various kinds of industries and QZSS capability of its improving civil GPS user community. The Aim ability for the satellite visibility, of the Council is to secure a favorable What are the innovative getting better GDOP and TTFF(time environment for proper utilization applications of GPS in Japan? to fast fi x) augment services. of the GPS system, and to contribute to the stable use of, and the future We can list-up as follows; worldwide development of the GNSS. (1) Construction machinery What is the status of Japan’s control using GPS precision MSAS and QZSS programme? positioning & navigation What are the current GPS (2) Remote controlled (robotics) civil The MSAS is now under the in-orbit research trends in Japan? engineering and construction examination, and the QZSS is now works like TV games under the R & D by governmental Indoor positioning and navigation (3) LBS for children security organs with coordination and using pseudolite system of the GPS (4) Telematics cooperation with the US GPS and like signals, so that we can expect (5) GIS works using Network the EU’s Galileo frequencies. seamless location based services. type RTK-GPS services (6) Tsunami monitoring system How do you see the In which direction the GPS emergence of Galileo? market of Japan is moving? How do you see the present and future of LBS in Japan? Galileo will give us the better Market creation in the everywhere, visibility and availability increasing, whoever and anytime LBS Many applications of LBS emerges together with pay service for integrity. such as Ubiquitous world. in the Japanese market but being still However, as far as concern with

6 March 2006 Coordinates equilibrium, it would be no problem civil GPS users and little impact in marketability for community. every GNSS applications in Japan. It is the fact I see the Galileo program is a single that the US purpose of their sovereignty issues GPS SPS for the EU composed countries. service policy Perhaps, it would be diffi cult for without direct the Galileo vehicle company to fi nd user charges out the business feasibility, unless obviously has otherwise getting continuous huge been creating investment and big market for Galileo civil GNSS chip royalty from China, India, Korea markets and and others. We, Japanese market and/ businesses. or industry have almost no interest Besides, in Galileo. There already exist GPS the US only and GLONASS market in Japan would be the most trusty to keep peaceful world with their Regarding the security issues, How do you perceive the philosophy and characteristics such Japanese E-911 (E-110/119 in US monopoly on GPS? as their intention to have the world Japan) emergency call system Act police administrative capability. is commencing from April 2007. The successive Presidents of the US have promised to the world that the US provides continuously How conducive are the In many countries there are GPS Standard Positioning Services Government policies for the cultural issues that hinders without direct user charges, and growth of GPS in Japan? that acceptability of new sustains the GPS system as the technologies. Do you see any world infrastructure resources. It is understandable that the Japanese such cultural issue in Japan? industry leads to create GNSS civilian We would thank the US Government market with their products and Yes, we can see easily such cultural and civil tax payers for its GPS services, and then the Government issues. However, the cultural modernization policy and generous Offi cers just respect its fact, so far. issues could become one of the contribution to the world peaceful At present, most of the Japanese merchandising strategic tools. We Government recognize can see it in the Japanese dominant importance of the GNSS of the Car-Navigation market, and look GNSS future in contrast with the world. wide possibility in the every fi eld. Especially Do you understand why Japan GSI (the Agency of only enjoys so-growth of business Geographic Survey of car-navigation products and Institute) have employed related services? It can be seen that many GPS-based is the Japanese culture. Hinders precision surveying will be candidates to become systems since the earlier strong customers. The culture is stage, 1987. As the the marketing resources. I see the result, Japan achieved market is newly created in the place the establishment of enabling to make business and growth the continuous GPS along with the appropriate product reference station network design and marketing activities. throughout Japan, named GEONET(GPS Earth Observation Network) Dr Hiroshi with more than 1,200 Nishiguchi GPS reference stations. Secretary General, This GEONET leads Japan GPS and supports the Council Japanese GIS programs [email protected] at present and future.

Coordinates March 2006 7 SURVEYING What does our world really look like? An attempt is being made by volunteers all over the world to visit the confl uence points and document the scenery with pictures and narratives

RAINER MAUTZ

sually, us human beings tend The Confl uence project counting down numbers at the to cumulate in urban centres, displays of their GPS receivers. and if we go places, then to Fortunately, for the past decade an The time to reach confl uence points Uthose which we consider as attempt is being made by volunteers ranges from 10 visits in 1 day (as worthwhile a visit, such as the Tower all over the world to visit the I managed to do in Germany, a of Pisa or Old Faithful Geyser in confl uence points and document the country with dense infrastructure) Yellowstone National Park. Due to our scenery with pictures and narratives. up to 1 visit in 10 days for reaching unbalanced focus on certain areas, we All reports of visits are submitted the world’s highest confl uence have a distorted image of our world to the website www.confl uence.org at 5835m in Xizang (Tibet). – much more jam-packed of houses, where they are published. Now, roads and people than it actually is. exactly 10 years into the project with The disparity of infrastructure, several thousand people actively population density, and awareness participating, one might guess that of the project hampers the fulfi lment An approach to all points must have been visited. De of the project goal. Currently, there sample the world facto, only 26.9% of the project goal is a huge gap in completeness of the is fulfi lled at the time of writing. project between different regions in If we want to have an unbiased the world. Figure 1 shows the current view of our earth surface, we need Why is the progress so slow? achievement in all countries. On the to sample it that independently of The answer can be found when top of the list of best documented any existing human infrastructure, recalling that these points ignore countries is Luxembourg with its topography and accessibility. our built infrastructure: they let only confl uence point (50°N 6°E) One clever idea that realizes ‘confl uence hunters’ drive into being visited 13 times. Even in a true independency is simply to deserts, wade through swamps, larger country such as Germany, identify an evenly distributed set argue with land owners and run its 48 confl uence points have been of sample points by coordinates. for miles after their vehicle has got documented more than 5 times on stuck in the sand, thereby always average. On the other end, in areas A straightforward approach is to sample all the exact spots where an integer degree of latitude and an integer degree of longitude meet, such as 20°00’00”N 106°00’00”E. Those 64,442 points are referred here as confl uence points. Using the WGS84 datum the locations of those points are exactly defi ned. If we only knew what these sites – at least those 21,541 being on land – look like, the title question could be answered. Considering that pure satellite pictures do not give the true impression of the spot compared to the scene when actually standing on it, taking pictures of all confl uences means to go to the confl uence Figure 1: The completeness of confl uence point documentations for different points. This is quite an effort, since countries. The greyscale directly refl ects the ratio between the fraction of visited they form a grid with a cell size points of a country. White (greyscale 255) indicates that none visits have been of roughly 100 km. by 100 km. done, black (greyscale 0) specifi es that all confl uence points have been visited.

8 March 2006 Coordinates solving, timing, improvising, organising, geography, transportation and many more. • Discover the fascinating and intriguing sides of ordinary places not on the “must see” agenda of most travellers and discover the fascinating and intriguing sides of those places which are supposedly uninteresting. • Last, but not least, participate in the Degree Confl uence Project. Figure 2: Uneven distribution of visited confl uence points: There are few projects where Those marked red have already been documented. volunteers from all over the world are unifi ed by a common goal. where the people’s basic needs such confl uence 30°N 90°E where the as water, food and health are far visitors suffered a physical toll (one of After having personally visited from being satisfi ed, the search for them was rushed to the hospital after 82 confl uences in 24 countries confl uence points is not ranked high the trip) because the confl uence hunt I can clearly say that despite on the to-do-lists. The Democratic involved a 6-day, 75 km pack-horse the fact that places are very Republic of Congo (Zaire) is leading trip at altitudes continuously above different, each confl uence visit the list of incompleteness: not a single 5000 m without any villages or human involves the following steps: of the 189 confl uence points in Congo infrastructure. Sometimes negotiation has been visited nor even attempted. skills are required when points are The planning phase Clearly, most of the Congolese are not located in restricted areas, such as the aware of the project and not equipped last remaining virgin confl uence on It is essential to look at the available with the required instruments to the contiguous USA (37°N 116°W) time budget and estimate how long survey their nearby confl uence points. that resisted all attempts for visits due the whole trip from the highway, On the top of everything the access to its location in the Nevada nuclear country road, track, footpath, cross- to the sample points is challenged by test site, which is very restricted country to the point and back will tropical rain forests and intestine wars. U.S. government property. However, take. Unsuccessful visits are almost The density of visited confl uences nothing is impossible if there is always due to the fact that the real for a country however is hardly a strong will – so fi nally this last trip turns out to last much longer correlated to the population density land confl uence was documented. as estimated. Therefore it is useful (correlation coeffi cient +0.15), not to face tight deadlines such as but clearly correlated in the GDP I can clearly say that the challenge of darkness, bus schedules or promises (correlation +0.6) and the number of fi nding confl uences can be fascinating to spouses. A good rule of thumb internet users per 1000 inhabitants – if not addictive. From a rational is to estimate your time on getting (correlation +0.6). Figure 2 shows point of view, “confl uencing” seems there, and then double it. If you the locations of visited confl uence to be pointless, if not foolish. Why fi nish early, congratulate yourself. points – within large countries like should one shoulder so much effort China or Russia the density of visits just to get to a pointless place on The journey varies signifi cantly. Russia’s easy earth? Well, there are several reasons: accessible areas in the west and • Often takes you to places that Problems will always occur despite along the industrial belt are almost never sees tourists and has thorough planning. Facing and solving completed while the most of Siberia untouched wildlife. If the area is which is mostly covered by swamps, populated then friendly people uninhabited taiga and tundra is still are happy to see you coming untouched by confl uence hunters. because they rarely have visitors. • Provides a challenge in everyday life. Nowadays, modern societies Challenges in fi nding satisfy most needs causing confl uences a desire for further goals. Purposelessness is driven away by Navigating to confl uences can be the collective aim of the project. challenging – physically where a • Provides training skills in coarse road network demands long orientation, navigation, negotiation, Picture 1: 17°N 105°E, drying GPS hikes or climbs, such as the Tibetan climbing, hiking, problem receiver in southern Laos

Coordinates March 2006 9 Picture 2: 40°N 41°E, fi xing a Picture 4: 31°N 74°E, road control in Punjab fl at tyre in East Anatolia weather conditions, animals, or System 1980 (GRS80) ellipsoid, problems should be taken as part of the worried landowners keep the visits see Figure 3. As a consequence the play. When I tried to get to a remote short. The visit can be intense if the distance between degrees of longitude confl uence in Laos’ jungle at a rainy point is near a school in remote China varies considerably between 111.32 day and almost reached the confl uence, (#picture 5), a river in India (#picture km at the equator to 1.95 km at the the GPS receiver quit working. After 6) or a Cambodian town where 89° latitude circle. The distances of I had dried the instrument in the sun spiders are delicacy (#picture 7). latitude circles however do not vary for two days (picture #1) I started signifi cantly (between 110.57 km at again and made it a successful visit. Reporting the confl uence the equator to 111.69 km between I had a fl at tyre in Turkey (picture 89° latitude to the poles). Whatever #2), my car got stuck a remote part Submitting a report and pictures to coordinate system is used, it is not of Iran’s desert, and issues with the the website can be quite some effort, possible to equally distribute points police had to be solved in Yemen but is usually rewarded by feedback on the sphere except in a few special (picture #3) and Pakistan (picture #4). from the confl uence community. cases called the platonic solids like the Taking a local guide, being patient Tetrahedron or Dodecahedron. More with locals and communication with details see Womersley (2005). For people who know the area are key Equidistribution the confl uence project this problem is to success. We shouldn’t forget that on the sphere solved by excluding some points near some places we consider disagreeable the poles and calling them “secondary” are other people’s homes. Only when all degree confl uences have while all others are considered as been visited will a thorough view of “primary”. Further details can be found Standing at the confl uence our planet’s surface be possible. One on the website of confl uence.org. might argue now that all meridians It is the highlight of any confl uence meet at the poles and that pole areas trip, but usually time constraints, have a higher density of latitude- The future longitude intersections Will the project ever be completed? than the tropical Considering it took 10 years to visit regions. This 25% of the points, a linear prediction is due to the would give a positive answer, but defi nition of would also suggest a completion in the geographical year 2036, which means another 30 coordinates, years of hunting unvisited points. Well, which are some variables make this calculation referenced on unreliable. The last remaining unvisited the WGS84 point might be hard to conquer (e.g. datum and its imagine trying to visit a confl uence in underlying a military compound in North Korea) Geodetic or just unattractive to visit (as most of Picture 3: 14°N 44°E, required police escort in Yemen’s highlands Reference Antarctica seems to be with currently

10 March 2006 Coordinates Picture 5: 27°N 105°E, curious Picture 6: 24°N 77°E, women completed laundry at a nearby river. school kids in Guizhou years. While the number of total visits them being secondary): circle the only 5 out of 1718 primary points is still increasing, there is a downward South Pole at the 89° latitude circle visited). On the other hand, the project tendency for the number of fi rst visits on a snowmobile. If you take the has gained publicity and attracted a of confl uence points over the last fi ve required pictures of the confl uences rising number of active members. If years. If the downswing continues, a (being 1.95 km apart) on-the-fl y, the whole world population would completion in 30 years is doubtful. the 700km journey can be done participate, I guess that all points can on an average speed of 30km per be reached within in a couple of days. Here is my idea how one can hour. But I guess that realisation A realistic forecast can be made by break all records and visit 360 new face a lot of logistical challenges looking at the past. Figure 4 shows how confl uences in one day (350 of and also involve some costs. the project developed over the last 10 In conclusion I can say that it is currently an open question whether the project goal will be met one day or not. May this article contribute to the awareness of confl uences and help to answer this open question someday with: “project completed!”.

Womersley, R (2005), Distributing points on the sphere Homepage Figure 4: The blue line shows Articles School of Mathematics, the number of points that have UNSW, http://www.maths.unsw.edu. been visited for the fi rst time in au/school/articles/me100.html a year, the red line shows the Figure 3: Geographical Coordinates Grid number of all visits in that year. Rainer Mautz born 1969 in Wiesbaden (Germany) studied Surveying at the Technical University Darmstadt and holds a PhD degree in Geodesy from the Technical University Berlin. He spent two years in Columbus, Ohio (USA) and is currently a researcher in Positioning and Navigation at Imperial College London. [email protected] Picture 7: 12°N 105°E, fresh roasted spiders in Skon, Cambodia

Coordinates March 2006 11 GNSS

link from the all the INRES. It also GAGAN update estimates the integrity and availability of the GPS satellites and uplinks these At present, GAGAN ground segment is under integration parameters via INLUS for broadcast test and data collection at INMCC from the INRES. to the user receiver through GEO. The INMCC for GAGAN TDS is ARJUN SINGH located at Kundanhalli Banglore. The installation and integration GAGAN is an Indian Space Based necessary software for navigation and of this major subsystem has been Augmentation System (SBAS). communication are being developed completed. Testing is in progress. Airports Authority of India (AAI) and as additional parallel effort. Eighteen Indian Space Research Organization GPS-TEC receivers have been INLUS ground station will receive (ISRO) to provide the seamless installed at 5x5 degree grid and are messages from INMCC and will navigation service for all the phases downloading the GPS data for the last transmit the correction to GSAT-4 for of fl ight over Indian airspace jointly 18 months. To study the ionospheric broadcast to the user platform. The undertake this project. The AAI’s behavior more effectively over entire INLUS also provides GEO satellites efforts towards implementation of Indian Airspace, Indian universities ranging information and corrections operational SBAS can be viewed as and R&D labs, which are involved to GEO satellites clocks. The ground the fi rst step towards introduction in the development of regional based station has been establishes in of modern CNS/ATM system IONO-TROP model for GAGAN, June 2004 in Kundanhalli and it is over Indian airspace. This project have suggested nine more stations. collocated with INMCC at Banglore. involves establishing ground- based elements inclusive of eight The scope of the TDS is planned The up-linking station with the 11 Indian Reference Station (INRES), to include the addition of a second meters antenna has been developed one Indian Master control center frequency L5 both in the space and indigenously and has been installed. (INMCC), one Indian Navigation ground segments and procurement The RF equipment required at the Land Uplink Station (INLUS). of State-of-the-art ground element. up-linking station has been procured The IEP is being implemented and installed indigenously and also To begin implementing an SBAS concurrently with TDS Phase. design is fl exible enough to cater for over the Indian airspace, Wide Area subsequent phases of the program. Augmentation System (WAAS) INRES has minimum two identical codes for L1 frequency and L5 GPS receivers/ antenna subsystems A geo-stationary navigation payload frequency were obtained from US to receive GPS signal (L1, L2 & in C band and L1 and L5 frequencies Air force (Department of Defense) L5) and GEO signals (L1&L5) form (L band) will be carried on an Indian on November 2001 and March 2005. all the satellite in view. INRES is Geo-stationary satellite i.e. GSAT-4 The assignment of L1 and L5 codes confi gured as multiple receiver chains placed at 82 Degrees East. The Indian is an indicator of the recognition for obtaining the measurement from payload will fl y on GSAT-4 scheduled of the need and seriousness of the the GPS and GEO satellites. During for launch by December 2006. Indian implementation of GAGAN TDS phase eight INRES are planned as GPS augmentation system. and all have been installed at their The locations were fi nalized after an respective stations. INRES is located elaborate study on multi-path, noise The implementation of the operational at Delhi, Banglore, Ahmedabad, survey and obstruction clearance. A GAGAN will take into account the Kolkata, Jammu, Portblair, Guwahati document was prepared for all the aspects of interoperability with other and Trivendrum. Five stations are INRES and INMCC to check the Satellite Based Augmentation System within airport operational area and compliance of the requirements. (SBAS) like WAAS, EGNOS, and three are outside the airport. These MSAS etc. GAGAN planned to stations are so chosen to provide At present, GAGAN ground segment be implemented in three phases. service coverage over Indian airspace. is under integration test and data 1. Technology Demonstration collection at INMCC from the INRES. System (TDS) INMCC is major subsystem of the 2. Initial Experimental Phase (IEP) GAGAN project and the function of 3. Final Operation Phase (FOP) the INMCC is correction and safety Dr Arjun Singh subsystem, operation of maintenance Additional GM, The TDS is broadly defi ned to consist subsystem, service monitoring Directorate of Global of eight numbers of INRES, one subsystem and data communication Navigation System, INMCC, one INLUS and a space subsystems. Using suitable navigation Airport Authority segment. The ionospheric modeling, software INMCC process the data of India [email protected] required communication links and the received through communication

12 March 2006 Coordinates Coordinates March 2006 13 NEWSBRIEFS — INDUSTRY

Products offering provides four levels of GPS the logistics industry in India. The operation--Location GPS, Basic, Max company’s consignment tracking LEICA SpiderWEB software and Extreme--to cover a range of user solutions would provide real-time to track users price and performance requirements. visibility of consignments to the entire value chain of consignor, Leica SpiderWEB allows the GPS Trimble also introduces two new consignee, logistics service provider Network administrators to keep products as part of its Connected and fleet owners by integrating their track of users, data and downloads. Survey Site model-the Trimble® R8 ERP/back-end with the information They can conveniently download GNSS system and Trimble NetR5™ available on TMT’s ‘trako’ server. GPS RINEX observation data for reference station receiver with single or multiple stations with just added Global Navigation Satellite Smartphones become a few mouse clicks. It’s a solution System (GNSS) capabilities. The smarter with Garmin for those who are looking for a fast positioning products, with Trimble and easy way to supply customers R-Track™ technology, support Garmin International Inc Garmin with GPS reference. It perfectly GPS L2C and L5 signals as well as Mobile(TM) 20 -- an automotive complements the Leica Geosystems GLONASS adding greater fl exibility navigation system that delivers reference stations software product and more robust signal tracking to Garmin’s voice-prompted, turn- portfolio consisting of Leica GPS provide a seamless and streamlined by-turn directions using Bluetooth Spider and Leica GNSS QC. workfl ow for all of the critical phases wireless technology on Nokia, of surveying. www.trimble.com Windows Mobile and Treo 650 Leica Geosystems also presents an Smartphones. It provides both data extremely powerful data collection Sirf’s mini GPS chips designed connectivity as well as hands-free and evaluation solution for tunnel for mobile phones capability and is packaged with the construction – from tunnel guidance GPS 20SM(TM), a highly sensitive to the handover documentation. Sirf Technologies launched GPS receiver and Bluetooth- TMS Tunnelscan is the new system recently two tiny power-efficient enabled speaker and microphone. module for tunnel scanning within chipsets designed to integrate the Leica TMS product family. GPS capability and wireless www.leica-geosystems.com connectivity into mobile handsets. The company has added to its Real-time direct georeferencing chipset offerings with the GSCi- and fl ight management system 5000, a stand-alone multimode Assisted GPS architecture, Combining the precision of POS which offers mobile phone AV of Direct Georeferencing with manufacturers accurate navigation the Flight Management System capabilities. www.pcmag.com expertise of TRACK’AIR POSTrack is the fi rst fully integrated, real- Blue Marble releases Flex time direct georeferencing and fl ight LM-based network management system designed for Business the airborne geospatial community. Blue Marble Geographics announces Purpose-built to reduce the costs the release of their new Geographic Ricoh and GlobalSat embed associated with the preparation and Map File Translator Version 3.0 GPS data into digital images implementation of airborne surveys, with Flex LM-based licensing. The it minimizes and streamlines mission full major update to their vector Ricoh Corporation, and planning and in-fl ight operational map file translation software is GlobalSat Inc have announced a workload. www.applanix.com now available for purchase and strategic relationship to provide download. www.bluemarblegeo.com unprecedented GPS accuracy Modular GPS receivers and of geo-coded digital images. Smart GPS antennas TACO MobiApps to unveil GlobalSat’s BC-337 is a highly consignment tracking solutions portable CompactFlash GPS Trimble announced a new series Receiver, which utilizes SiRF’s of Modular GPS Receivers and TACO MobiApps Telematics Star III low-power chipset. When additions to the Trimble family of Limited (TMT) will introduce combined with Ricoh’s GPS- Smart GPS Antenna designed to consignment tracking solutions Ready Pro G3 Digital Camera, provide contractors with state-of-the- (CTS), based on GPS, GSM, high-resolution images are art, future-ready construction GPS CDMA, and GPRS technologies, embedded with precise GPS positioning solutions. The new product to address the growing demands of coordinates. www.ricoh-usa.com

14 March 2006 Coordinates Joint research programme Leveraging some of the most advanced capacity contract modifi cation by for 3D topology digital imagery available on the the National Geospatial-Intelligence market, the university will be able to Agency (NGA). This ClearView Laser-Scan is currently participating quickly and accurately provide small- contract enables the NGA to acquire in a research programme to deliver scale to large-scale digital images to additional commercial imagery from database functionality for a 3 customers. www.intergraph.com DigitalGlobe’s QuickBird’s high- Dimensional Topology Model. This resolution commercial imaging research is being conducted under Swisscom Mobile selects satellite.www.advancedimagingpro. a Phase II SBIR awarded to LSI by Sun Microsystems com/publication/art the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) At the 3GSM World Conference, Sun Autodesk launches European Topographic Engineering Center Microsystems Inc. announced that mobile LBS program (TEC). The ERDC is the premier leading Swiss telecommunications research and development facility for carrier Swisscom Mobile has Autodesk Inc., (UK) announced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It selected Sun Microsystems to help recently its Autodesk European consists of seven laboratories at four reduce IT complexity and costs Location Services Developer geographical sites, with over 2,000 by streamlining access for 1,145 Program. This location-based employees, $1.2 billion in facilities, and retail stores to the company’s services (LBS) program provides an annual research program approaching customer-oriented applications to European developers with the $700 million. www.laser-scan.com better serve customers and help resources and support needed to increase revenue. www.sun.com rapidly bring LBS applications and Washington State Department services to market. The LBS market of Transportation selects Bentley Intermap signs agreement is estimated to reach $200 million within German Auto Industry EUR by 2007, according to Frost Bentley Systems, Incorporated and Sullivan, and wireless carriers announced that the Washington Intermap Technologies Corp. around the world are location- State Department of Transportation announced that it has signed a second enabling their networks to facilitate (WSDOT) has selected Bentley as joint development agreement within worldwide demand for LBS its primary provider of software for the German automotive industry services such as social networking, engineering and surveying practices. for Intelligent Transportation gaming, personal navigation WSDOT selected Bentley InRoads Systems (ITS) applications. The and directions. Modeled on its software to replace CAiCE as its agreement combines the automotive successful U.S. program, this new primary transportation engineering engineering and development program helps developers create software based on a statewide steering expertise from this leading German LBS services using Autodesk’s committee review. www.bentley.com automotive manufacturer with open standards platform to market Intermap’s highly accurate geospatial their applications worldwide. www. Rolta and Orion technology databases. www.intermap.com directionsmag.com form parternship Boeing awarded $3.5 HP enters the GPS market Rolta International, Inc., and Orion million from NGA with ViaMichelin Technology Inc., provider of web- GIS software and integration services, Boeing has received a $3.5 million HP has announced that it is to enter announced a partnership agreement. follow-on task order from the the Sat Nav market with a new device Under the terms of the partnership, National Geospatial-Intelligence it has launched with ViaMichelin. Rolta International, Inc. will provide Agency (NGA) to enhance the Using a PDA model originally implementation services for Orion digital topographic data collected announced in September last year, HP Technology’s OnPoint™ Suite of web- by the space shuttle Endeavour. has decided to use its rx1950 PDA at GIS products to Utility and Government This award to Boeing under NGA’s the core of the system adding a cradle organizations. www.roltaus.com Shuttle Radar Topography Mission and the software to offer the GPS (SRTM) program brings Boeing’s solution. The new name – the rx1950 Intergraph Z/I Imaging DMC total SRTM contract awards to more Navigator has been bundled with Selected By Wuhan University than $35 million. www.webwire.com the latest version of ViaMichelin’s navigation software and a car cradle Intergraph Corporation announced NGA awards $24 million to offer the GPS element. HP has that Wuhan University, China, the contract to DigitalGlobe been able to make the PDA GPS world’s largest mapping university, has ready by including the GPS receiver purchased an Intergraph Z/I Imaging DigitalGlobe has been awarded in the car cradle rather than as a DMC® (Digital Mapping Camera). a $24 million satellite imagery bolt on to the unit. www.hp.co.uk

Coordinates March 2006 15 NEWSBRIEFS — GPS

CRPF vehicles to have bracelets on pre-trial offenders and widespread rollouts during 2006 and GPS sets parolees to track them and to prevent 2007. This analysis is backed up by them from committing new crimes. the results of a recent survey carried The Government of India has Police say the program, which uses out by Genasys in the Latin American decided to introduce GPS sets in all global positioning system technology, telecoms market. www.genasys.com vehicles carrying security personnel does not require legislation. Instead, of the Central Reserve Police Force the department is working with the IBM tests mobile speech (CRPF) in the country. Initially the Massachusetts Probation Service applications GPS sets will be installed in 513 on the initiative, which police say is vehicles of the CRPF and later it will currently being used on 90 people IBM has collaborated with two be introduced in all vehicles. The with good results. www.boston.com universities to develop several speech- ministry has decided to provide 23 enabled Web applications for mobile mine protective vehicles to the CRPF Panasonic ToughBook phones. The MobileU program allows for counter-insurgency operations. in army camp students to ask “What time is the next The government has decided to arm bus coming?” into their cell phones. GPS its paramilitary forces with hi-tech The Army Adventure Wing, devices inside the buses use General weapons to fi ght the Naxals and directorate general of military training, Packet Radio Service (GPRS) to transmit insurgents. www.asianage.com Army Headquarters, has announced their location to servers on campus that their select team is attempting and ultimately to students’ mobile Lockheed Martin GPS updates a national hot air balloon record phones to tell them how long they have enhance system accuracy by ascending a height anywhere to wait. www.computerworld.com between 3,000 to 10,000 feet above Lockheed Martin has upgraded the sea level for 24 hours continuously. GPS chips now to be software processing and modeling The ToughBook CF-18 to be used more affordable for the Air Force’s GPS, enhancing by the Army Adventure Wing during the Air Force’s ability to monitor this expedition is equipped with GPS chip sales are soaring as costs fall GPS satellites and improve system wireless communication capabilities to more affordable levels. The change accuracy 10-15 percent for users and Global Positioning System (GPS) is due largely to the development of worldwide. The recently completed technology. www.efytimes.com low-cost GPS chips. GPS chips for update, named the Legacy Accuracy most products have fallen in recent Improvement Initiative (L-AII), GPS services for faster years from $50 to less than $10, and doubles the amount of navigation data signal acquisition the cost for GPS in cell phones is even collected and provided to Air Force less. Analysts say that Qualcomm operators. www.lockheedmartin.com u-blox AG, the Swiss provider of now spends only about $2 to add innovative GPS receiver technology, GPS capabilities to its cell phone chip GPS Power Case extends battery announced the provision of Assisted sets. http://reed-electronics.com life of Blue Logger by 600% GPS (“A-GPS”) services that supply instant location information, GSM radio network Alti-tech Engineering, has announced reducing GPS receivers’ Time To across Bangladesh a rechargeable lithium ion (Li-ion) First Fix (“TTFF”) to just a few Power Case for the DeLorme Blue seconds. www.wirelessdevnet.com GrameenPhone Ltd. has selected Logger GPS. This case is called MapInfo to implement a location GPS Power Case and by enclosing Results of LATAM intelligence solution to monitor and your Blue Logger inside it you Survey released optimise the performance of its GSM can get an increased runtime of radio network across Bangladesh. upto 600% (from 10 to 60 hours). Despite years of build-up and hype, GrameenPhone continually strives According to Alti-Tech, placing the location based services were still in toward providing better network Blue Logger inside the case doesn’t an early stage of slow growth at the coverage and quality for its customer have any effect on GPS signal beginning of 2005. From about the base. GrameenPhone increased its reception. www.gpsgazette.com year 2000, only a handful of operators network coverage from 55 percent worldwide had launched location to more than 95 percent of the Boston police to expand based services for their enterprise and population within last year. As part use of GPS tracking individual subscribers. However, the of this initiative, the Radio Planning recent introduction of 3G network Department at GrameenPhone needed Boston Police Commissioner Kathleen technology in many markets (and a spatial solution to assist them in M. O’Toole and Mayor Thomas M. many more to come) coupled with the monitoring and managing the mobile Menino announced that authorities emphasis on boosting data revenues, network quality and coverage across would begin placing electronic ankle it seems like the stage is fi nally set for the country. www.mapinfo.com

16 March 2006 Coordinates Coordinates March 2006 17 NEWSBRIEFS — GIS

Multimap Australasia announces Ordnance Survey focuses maps. About 30 per cent land use online mapping deal on collaboration survey has been completed based on a map prepared by the local Multimap, one of the online Ordnance Survey’s presidency of consultant using satellite imagery. mapping providers, announced the a European geographic committee www.thepeninsulaqatar.com implementation of its online mapping on behalf of the UK has reinforced services for the Commonwealth ties between national mapping and LeadDog releases GIS Travel Services Corporation (CTC), cadastral agencies across member maps for Tehran at the Travel Distribution Summit in states. The key focus of Ordnance Singapore (14th & 15th February, Survey’s six-month tenure chairing LeadDog Consulting, LLC recently 2006). Now, customers of one of the the Permanent Committee on announced the release of a detailed largest and most trusted travel and Cadastre in the European Union Tehran GIS vector map. LeadDog tour operators in Singapore can access (PCC) was closer collaboration on map products provide accurate base content-rich, easy-to-read interactive land use management, sustainable level mapping featuring numerous maps of their hotel destinations. development and other key issues vector layers and attributes such as The site enhancement is expected to involving geographic information. detailed streets at 1:10,000 scale, increase the conversion rate of lookers www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk street names, street classifi cations, to bookers, by lowering the barriers to extensive points of interest booking online. www.multimap.com China builds geographic (government offi ces, commercial information database building, etc.), neighborhood points, OGC(R) approves GML in park, water & landmark polygons JPEG 2000 specifi cation China has completed a 1:50000 and railroads. Tehran City Streets is database for the national fundamental available in all major GIS formats. The Open Geospatial Consortium Inc. GIS, said Lu Xinshe, Director- www.goleaddog.com (OGC) membership has approved General, State Bureau of Surveying the OpenGIS(R) GML in JPEG 2000 and Mapping in a press conference GIS to aid emergency health for Geographic Imagery (GMLJP2) recently. This database is a national services in Hanoi, Vietnam Implementation Specifi cation. It basic geographic information database is available for downloading from that covers all of China with the GIS will be applied to healthcare www.opengeospatial.org/specs/ largest scale and highest precision up emergency services during the fi rst ?page=specs. The Geography to date. http://english.people.com.cn quarter of 2006 in Hanoi, capital Markup Language (GML) is an city of Vietnam. GIS will be used to XML grammar for the encoding of SK and SouthCot tie up for manage city ambulances and fi rst aid geographic information. JPEG 2000 Allah Valley resource mapping response and provide health units with is a wavelet based image compression more and faster information about standard that provides the ability to The local governments of Sultan the location and nature of emergency include XML data for description Kudarat and South Cotabato situations. http://vietnamnews. of the image within the JPEG 2000 have tied up with a Manila-based vnagency.com.vn data fi le. www.opengeospatial.org environmental consultancy fi rm for the conduct of resource mapping Risk management atlas Country-wide digital aerial and community-based resource in Gujarat, India photo of the Netherlands assessment of the Allah Valley watershed areas. www.mindanews.com The Gujarat State Disaster From early September to mid-October Management Authority (GSDMA) of 2005 Aerodata International Karachi 2020 - Master has come out with a Composite Risk Surveys recorded digital aerial photos Plan by August 2006 Atlas to help various departments of the Netherlands on their own concerned in disaster mitigation initiative. The imagery was completely The Master Plan 2020 for Karachi planning. The GSDMA had engaged acquired with the company’s 90 City is likely to be ready by August Taru Leading Edge Consultants, a megapixel UltraCam-D large format this year for which various agencies Delhi-based fi rm with expertise in digital frame camera, mounted in their have been contacted to provide data collection for disaster mitigation fast Fairchild Merlin survey aircraft. maps/drawing of likely underground planning, to prepare the atlas, a copy This project is unprecedented in the passages, a senior offi cial has said. of which was released by Chief Netherlands, since it is the fi rst time Divisional Coordination Offi cer Minister Narendra Modi recently aerial photos of the entire country Karachi, Fazlur Rehman said all in the presence of Chief Secretary have been acquired completely the federal and provincial agencies Sudhir Mankad and secretaries of digitally. www.aerodata-surveys.com besides those working in Karachi various departments concerned. have agreed to provide their route http://cities.expressindia.com

18 March 2006 Coordinates NEWSBRIEFS — REMOTE SENSING

PCI Geomatics supports China’s mapping Double views from ERS mission CARTOSAT-1 satellite data satellite in 2008 adding depth to Canadian maps

PCI Geomatics announced that it China expects to launch its fi rst Unique views of Earth afforded by a has entered into a memorandum surveying and mapping satellite pioneering twin ESA radar satellite of understanding with Antrix in 2008, said Lu Xinshe, head of fl ight has brought an extra dimension Corporation Ltd. to develop the State Bureau of Surveying to maps of Canada’s newest territory, an interface that integrates and Mapping. After long time the results winning praise from the CARTOSAT-1 satellite data preparation and science workers’ Canadian government. Nunavut is products in Geomatica, PCI efforts, conditions are becoming the latest and also largest territory Geomatics image-centric geospatial ripe for the country to launch its of Canada: located up in the frozen software. Antrix, a corporate arm independently developed high northeast, Nunavut has a population of the Indian Space Research defi nition, stereoscopic mapping of only around 29 300 but an area Organization (ISRO), launched the satellite. General design for the the size of Western Europe. The CARTOSAT-1 satellite on May 5, satellite has been completed and Canadian government is currently 2005, to provide stereo data for is now under discussion. The refining and updating its geographic advanced and large scale mapping satellite is expected to be launched information for the entire country applications. www.pcigeomatics.com in 2008. http://english.people.com. and Nunavut in particular, as a way cn/200602/27/eng2006022 of encouraging its development. Japan’s new satellite For the latest of a series of projects sends its fi rst image NASA, University scientists charting this region, Vexcel Canada uncover lost Maya ruins has completed an additional 21 Japan’s recently launched Advanced digital elevation model (DEM) map Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) has Remains of the ancient Maya sheets for the Canadian government sent back its fi rst pictures of Earth culture, mysteriously destroyed at agency charged with mapping the - Mt Fuji and its surrounding towns. the height of its reign in the ninth nation’s topography, or ‘lay of the The satellite was launched on January century, have been hidden in the land’: the Centre for Topographic 24, 2006, and it contains three onboard rainforests of Central America for Information Sherbrooke (CTIS). instruments for Earth observation. One more than 1,000 years. Now, NASA Vexcel Canada has now produced instrument is called the Panchromatic and university scientists are using complete elevation data for 44 map Remote-sensing Instrument for Stereo space- and aircraft-based “remote- sheets across Nunavut Territory, Mapping (PRISM). It’s capable of sensing” technology to uncover meeting stringent specifications taking many 3-D images quickly and those ruins, using the chemical from CTIS for Canadian Digital accurately. www.universetoday.com signature of the civilization’s ancient Elevation Data (CDED) of better building materials. www.nsstc.org than 7.5 m vertical accuracy at ISRO to double remote around 20 m postings. The project sensing business Cardiff University honours was completed under a demanding Dr Kasturirangan production schedule and resulted in India has set a target to double high-resolution Digital Elevation its business in the global remote Dr K Kasturirangan, Director of Models (DEMs) and high praise sensing space within three years, National Institute of Advanced from the Canadian government. For Indian Space Research Organisation Studies, Bangalore and former each of the products completed for (ISRO) chairman G Madhavan Chairman of ISRO, has become CTIS, Vexcel leveraged ERS tandem Nair said recently. “My reading an Honorary Fellow of the Cardiff data and its own EarthView InSAR is that 15 per cent of the (remote University, the United Kingdom. production software, customised to sensing) market is with us now. The Honorary Fellowship was allow for such large area elevation We have got Resourcesat and conferred on him at the University’s mapping. The ERS data was provided Cartosat. We should be able to at graduation ceremony l at Cardiff, by ESA, while the Canadian Space least double this business within an ISRO statement said recently. Agency (CSA) gave support in the next three years,” Madhavan The conferring of Honorary scientifi c and technical testing, as Nair told newspersons recently. The Fellowship on Dr Kasturirangan is well as methodological development size of the global remote sensing an international recognition for his towards producing the tailor-made market is estimated to be 30-40 contribution to space, according InSAR DEM software. www.spaceref. million US dollars. Nair also said to ISRO. www.newkerala.com com/news/viewpr.html?pid=1912 that ISRO’s marketing arm Antrix Corporation has been growing by 25 per cent annually for the last two Read news online www.mycoordinates.org years. www.chennaionline.com

Coordinates March 2006 19 HIS COORDINATES “Understand. Then implement.” says Dr Mahesh Chandra, Managing Director, National Informatics Centre Services Incorporated while sharing the success and challenges in technology implementation in the context of utility mapping project

Tell us about the utility other utility lines. It is expected Delhi. It is a continuous process. We mapping project? to help better management of the have built the basic data, which is utilities in the urban areas. secured on NIC server. We may say We have seen a rapid growth of that over the years a template has cities in recent years with growing As far as challenges are concerned, been evolved. Procedures have been demand on land resources and other the fi rst challenge was to get the basic documented and institutionalized. basic infrastructure. They are under map itself. Second was to organize increasing pressure to extend the basic the fi eld team. Our team worked facilities to support the ever-increasing every square km each for one week What was the role of population. The Utility Mapping for each utility. The team comprised geomatics technology? project was one of the consequences for each area was at least 2 persons of urban renewal programme of the and one person from local area. The The Delhi utility map covers 900 Government of India. The project fi eld team has verifi ed all the ground points earmarked by our team and was executed by National Informatics data. The project needed hundred then verifi ed by a physical ground Centre (NIC), Government of India percent ground verifi cation. At times, reality check. This project is based and was fi rst implemented for Delhi. ground level realities compelled on the latest technology such as modifi cations. The third challenge GPS, photogrammetry, and GIS- We all know that cities are growing was to build a team that can think being implemented in India for the but what we need to understand that and work together. Fourth and most fi rst time. Using photogrammetric the cities should grow in harmony important was to convince the people technique, aerial photographs in pairs with the requirements of people. and that could be done by proving (consecutive) were used to form a 3D While meeting the requirements of the credentials of the technology. model. The National Remote Sensing the people it needs to be understood Agency (NRSA) did the aerial surveys that the character of the city should and NIC did the photogrammetry part. be maintained. And while executing What was the time frame? the Delhi utility project at NIC, that was the challenge for me. The Delhi project took four years What about the (1998-2002). However, project like cost involved? this has a long gestation period. What were the challenges The time taken for the projects It is very diffi cult to assess the you faced while executing implementation depends heavily direct cost. Does it include the Delhi Utility Project? on the cooperation extended by all cost of evolving process, training, agencies in sharing information. experimentation, consultation etc? The utility mapping of Delhi covers While Delhi’s utility map took four Moreover, initiating such a project the whole area of Delhi (1,483 sq years, it should not be considered was more of an institution building. km) on the scale of 1:1000. It has as standard time for such projects. The project was started with the grant information on natural and human- It was more of evolutionary nature of 20 million Norwegian krone from made resources, including population where we corrected our course in the Government of Norway. NIC densities, land uses, transportation various stages. Still no one can say paid salaries to the project staff. corridors, waterways, street that the project is completed patterns, mass-transit patterns, especially for a live city like sewer lines, water lines, and

20 March 2006 Coordinates Is Delhi utility Processes are cumbersome. If project mapping in use? involves huge transaction of funds, YES! I want my Coordinates then associated offi cials are looked at Yes, utility agencies are using it. Most with suspicion. It is advisable if the of the agencies have special cell. I key professionals restrict themselves I would like to subscribe for (tick one) think work culture has changed after to technical evaluation and not involve 1 year 2 years 3 years this project. Now, if any agency wants themselves in fi nancial evaluation. 12 issues 24 issues 36 issues to dig any area of Delhi, it can do so We need to understand that one has Rs.1200/US$80 Rs.2100/US$145 Rs.2700/US$180 by coordinating with other agencies to perform in the system. And one by giving a 15 days notice. Not only it has to perform not because of the brings some comfort to the citizens but system but in spite of it. When one also results in saving of a lot of money comes out of a college, he thinks he which otherwise would have wasted. is well equipped with knowledge but First name actually learning starts once a person ...... joins a system. I preferred to maintain Will you replicate the Delhi a low profi le and not created hype Last name experience in other cities? about the project. Unnecessary hype ...... leads to avoidable expectations. More The success in Delhi have encouraged important is to work for the mission Designation us to replicate the Delhi experience rather than to struggle for credits...... in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai. Organization Given the experience of Delhi, we What motivates you? ...... expect that the entire exercise in these cities will comparatively be I do not know. I think Almighty gives easier. The basic mapping will be the strength. I have good friends. Address ...... completed in next 18 months and That also helps but I feel it is the then the actual work will start. values that you nourish defi ne the ...... course of activities. I took a conscious City ...... Pincode ...... decision to remain in India and serve How do you perceive the role the country. I hate those people who State ...... Country ...... of geomatics technologies? left the country for better pastures Phone ...... without realizing the country took an Introduction of geomatics technology extra effort to provide them proper Fax ...... is primarily driven by pull and education. It is our responsibility Email ...... push factors both. No doubt, need to return the society something and relevance of such technologies after taking so much from it. were felt but at the same time I enclose cheque no ...... vendors pushed the technology by creating hype through conference What is NICSI? drawn on ...... and seminars. I feel initial push dated ...... towards subscription was by vendors. It was followed NICSI (National Informatics by a demand pull by the users. Centre Services Inc) is a company charges for Coordinates magazine formed under section 25. It is a in favour of cGIT. commercial arm of NIC. It is non- What are the challenges profi t making company hundred per Sign ...... Date ...... in introducing a new cent owned by President of India. technology in system? Mail this form with payment to: In India, most of us are philosophers. Dr Mahesh We feel we have a right to comment Chandra presently Coordinates – cGIT from anything to everything. And serving as Managing 28A Pocket D, SFS here lies a problem. We must Director, NICSI. Mayur Vihar Phase III understand the technology if we want He did his PhD Delhi 110 096, India to implement it in developing country in Computer Aided Design. but equally important is to take care He has published one book If you’d like an invoice before sending of non-technical issues associated and 34 papers in International your payment, you may either send us with technology implementation. Journals. [email protected] this completed subscription form and we’ll bill you, or send us a request for an Coordinates March 2006 invoice at [email protected] 21 CADASTRAL Indian prelude to British cadastral and revenue maps The brief analysis adequately demonstrates that pre-British India had its own systems of cadastral and revenue mapping

PROF B ARUNACHALAM

aja Todarmal was the minister for revenue in the court of Akbar. Building upon the Rfoundations laid by Sher Shah, Todarmal introduced a system of land reforms, the essence of which was an assessment of the land revenue according to the extent of cultivation, the nature of the soil and the quality of the crops. He set up a scheme of laborious measurement, analysis of possibilities and calculation of prospects. The actual demand was adjusted to meet seasonal price and cultivated area variation. Though at times it broke down and was deployed unevenly within the Moghal Empire, it is the underlying basis of the later day revenue systems. The British became the pupils of the Moghal School, variations in the length of the kos occupied at least since the Neolithic being impressed by the range and in different parts of Moghal India. age, early settlements of a shifting thoroughness of the system. In spite of character were confi ned to the Kurinji false starts and harsh application in the Raja Todarmal was not however the or the hills, gradually down-migrating early days, the British could build up fi rst to generate a revenue system over centuries to the pastoral foothills a rural administration not only stable available in all parts of the empire. or mullai by early Christian era. The but generally equable and equitable. Much before him, others have further occupation of the river plains had their notable contributions in and the agriculturally fertile deltas The Moghal revenue administration this regard in different parts of the led to sedentary population living demanded precise measurement of country. Kautilya’sArthasastra in amidst riverine farm country. Peasant productive cultivated land. A number the Maurya period was one of the technology led to use of irrigation of units came into force. The llahi earliest to recognize the relevance through different methods and raising gaz, a measure of length and standard of land revenue collection from of more than one seasonal crop, gauge was used throughout the productive farmlands, in villages with apart from tree crops. By mid-10th Moghal Hindustan in long, middling settled population of farmers. The century, with the advet of the later and short forms, each divided into Sukra neeti talks of recognition of Cholas, specially Raja Raja productive 24 equal parts and each was called a revenue estimation from cultivated cultivated land constituted a major tussuj, equal to 8,7 or 6 barley-corns. land according to the fact the land source of land revenue for the upkeep The gaz is equal to two spans of 16 is watered by tanks and lakes, of the Chola mandalam. Farm villages gerths each. There were however by rivers, by wells and sluices came to be precisely defi ned. As per variations of the length of the gaz apart from dry farming rainfed Chola stone inscriptions and numerous even with Moghal India. The bigha areas and the nature and number copper plates, a village came to be is a land measure of 60*60 gaz. A of crops raised in each parcel. defi ned as comprising wet lands, larger unit was the Kos or Karoh, dry lands, ur (cultivators), village each consistion of 50 llahi gaz or 400 An area of signifi cant development site, houses, houses house gardens, poles, each of length 12.5 gaz. Thus of land information for revenue manram (meeting place), wastelands the kos is a length of 5000 gaz. Abul levies is the Tamilnadu agricultural for grazing cattle, tanks, cow pens, Fazal states that there were signifi cant plains. Though Tamil Nadu has been hedges, forest land, barren lands,

22 March 2006 Coordinates brackish lands, streams, channels, Malabar, a compact village was not under the plough and the farmer was rivers, Arabic land near rivers, pits of the agricultural unit. The tarawad of subsidized with seeds and cattle. Land water, trees. (Subbarayalu) Villages the Namboodri and Nair constituted revenue varied from year to year were further grouped as brahmadeyas the land unit, with lzhavas and Tiyars dependant on assessment by village (Brahmin villages), Vellala villages as the main farm labour. The hills offi cers like Karnams and tatatis, the (farmer villages), taniyur, devadana and slopes terrain with a network local Kuikarnis and Patels managing villages (gifted to Brahmins, temples of backwaters and lagoons lent to a the village administration. However, and those who have rendered hierarchy of land rights of the janmis there are large variations dependant recognized state service. Hundreds of that were multilayered. The land was on jagirdars. Salsette (Suburban descriptions are noted in inscriptions held on lesser forms of tenure, and Bombay) for example had nine and copper plates of temple donations sharecropping was quite common. different tenure systems within an (of land or land income), endorsed by Land was devoted not only to rice area of 16 sq miles. When the British the state that give precise locations farming but also a variety of tree took over similar such principles and and measures of lands donated, crops. The traditional system did methods were developed locally in together with their boundary limits. not undergo any major change with different parts of Central and Northern Though verbal, these descriptions of the coming of the Islam, nor did it India, and these with remarkable individual plots of land give indication get disturbed by the arrival of the internal variations are too traced here. of an early system of cadastral plans. Portuguese and the Dutch. However, In Portuguese Goa, there evolved a a gradual break-up of the larger communido system unique to itself. The land measurement units used in tarawads did materialize. Temple Tamil Nadu however differ from those lands and garden lands were given When the British set themselves the prevalent in the northern plains. The patta by the Travancore mahraja task of ground level detailed large smallest unit used is a viral (fi nger). since mid eighteenth century. Actual and medium scale surveys, they took 12 virals (9”) make a chaan and 24 survey by traverses or baseline and to precise direct measurement of virals (18”) make a muzham (cubit). offset system did not materialize till distance and directions between each A muzhakol (cubit pole) is 9 or 12 independence. A somewhat similar night’s camp, that took the form of ft long and is used as a measuring land ownership system evolved in the route surveys in traverses, often using rod. The smallest land plot is a 12 Lakshadweep with the government Gunther’s chain and tape and taking ft. square called a Kuzhi. Hundred pandaram. Lands not being held in measures along sides and diagonals. Kuzhis make a Kaani and fi ve Kaanis private property, but it is the trees that This technique of establishing a is a veil, somewhat similar to the were owned. The middle class Vellala framework for observation formed northern bigha. Land as small in identifi cation of the Tamil country the basis of different scales of extent as 1/52.4288 millions of a fi nds its refl ection in the Okkaliga mapping in a map graticule. Rennell, veli was measured in the productive and Lingayat land ownership in larger Dalirymple, Robert Kelly, Buchanan Cauvery valley in the Chola period plots in the semi-dry Mysore Maidan. and others did pioneering work in (equal to 1/500000th of a square this regard. These surveys were foot, (Burton Stein). While the basic A major step taken by Shivaji carried by trained local surveyors cultivated fi eld plot was a veli, and in western Maharashtra for land and collectors and the data gathered a village was defi ned as stated in the administration was to have a survey of were sent to Calcutta. Bombay and above para and comprised many farm the lands and then to assess the rents Madras. Since the surveyors were plots, that were as far as possible and dues payable by the cultivators. appointed by the London offi ce and rectangular of square in shape, While the land ownership in Deccan the cartographers at central offi ce except where natural features like was in large land holdings, in Konkan had little control on data sent to them water channels formed the bounding they were in much smaller tillable led to great disparities in survey limits. The basic agrarian unit was plots on slopes and valley sides. Land standards, and a chaos. The company nadu comprising many villages. surveys were carried out at different management though aware of the With land reclamation in the newer times and basically followed the chaos did not know how to materialize delta fringes, new nadus came into system of Malik Ambar in Moghal and the three surveyor generals existence, though of lower fertility Deccan. The main features of this moved in different directions. Many than the core Chola heartland. The system were the classifi cation of land manuscript maps went missing and Chola system of land management according to fertility, ascertainment of fi eld offi cers often did not get maps. went on a decline post-fourteenth their produce, fi xing the government century, (Heitzman) but the basic share. Collection of rents in kind or Using indigenous methods for land framework and structure remained money and abolition of intermediate measurement and assessment of intact to become the basis of the later collecting agents. Three fi fths of the revenues, based upon a decision of the British cadastral and revenue surveys. share of the crop produce was left to Company and the Surveyor General the farmer. Using the tagai and istawa at Calcutta to accept the assessment in In the well-watered Travancore and principles new lands were brought eastern India as permanent settlement

Coordinates March 2006 23 for all time, and there was a need to one of its primary tasks leaving it in are not bereft of some, rare, pieces of assess new wastelands newly reclaimed the hands of talatis, revenue inspectors evidences, and if some concerted work in Sunderbans and 24 paragamas. The and Collectors. The cartographic is initiated more such map plans may local zamindari system facilitated to anarchy was complete and Surveyor get revealed. The adjoining map is one an extent permanent settlement. In Generals combined into one group, such of a fi eld area (not the full village) Madras Presidency, Since even the who unfortunately never realized the on the south bands of the Pennar river jagirs were not so large zamins, and importance of ground level surveys. close to Tirukoilur in Nadu Nadu, the land holders were mainly of a that shows the gifted devadana lands ryotwari system, a different guideline Now, there is a growing realization and to the Siva and Vishnu temples as was established for the Madras desire to link the triangulation network placed in the natural environment revenue surveys, and these were later not only with the topographical map as per inscriptions. The square and introduced to Bombay Presidency in grid, but also bring the cadastral rectangular plots of farmlands were of 1772 with little change. This settlement plans into its fold. Having fl own high the Chola period imprinted in the later done by the extra-ordinary work of in the regime of map projections, day British cadastral surveys and plans. great surveyors like Thomas Munro, photogrammetry aerial surveys and A map drawn Frank Perlin’s collection Read, Col. Mackenzie and Dickinson photos, and the latest in satellite is again a part of the village fi eld plan became basis for a temporary imagery maps of high power of belonging to Fasli 1193 (AD1784) settlement, with opportunities for spatial resolution. Survey of India on paper in Chitnis Modi script constant reviews at intervals. The data is struggling to come to terms with presented to and accepted as a piece base was highly comprehensive, going grass root level linkages. Problems of evidence in a civil litigation for into the plot size, soil and its taram, are many: the grid used, the projection land rights between two farmers. The slope, water access, crops seasonally, for plane table level survey plan the place is south of and close to Pune in ownership, etc. The Madras Adangal search for control points to merge Maharashtra, and is known as Vadhana. even today is the standard adopted the two and others. On the front of The plan also provides measurement. gradually all over the country. The Sat- the cadastral plans, shrinkage due The map is reproduced and rendered in bara of Bombay Presidency is of a very to age of the old handmade paper it English. Belonging to a relatively to a similar order. The baffi ng problem of is drawn on, subsequent plot level relatively late period, somewhat similar land survey was the subject of futile changes and what is worse changes to Moghal land reform methods, this experiments in Bengal, but in Madras in the physical landscapes by way Maratha map, of the Peshwa period reached a viable practical solution, of erosion or accretion. The job is refl ects the land reform effected by dependent on standard supervision. gigantic and full of challenges! Chhatrapati Shivaji. A cadastral map With insuffi cient resources, the in a part of native western Nepal, British mapping of India proceeded Having made a brief and spotty review that is dated AD 1830 with distinct in a crisis-driven, anarchic manner. of the cadastral and revenue surveys boundaries and their revenue estimates that had come to stay in different parts is also shown. Just before the British In the early decades of the 19th of the country, it is time to turn to introduced their cadastral survey and century, under the regulation of cadastral plans of villages and towns map in Maratha land by the beginning William Lambton and later George and revenue maps of villages. It is not of the 18th century, revenue and village Everest, the primary and secondary very easy to visualize when the fi rst locations in the hills within a forest triangulation networks began taking Indian cadastral and revenue survey belt of the Sahyadri was a diffi cult shape with minimal linear measures maps came into being. It can at best be task but the Maratha cartography had and precise angular measures to cover a broad conjecture. Since Pallava and an answer in their graphic mapping the whole country with a network of Chola days inscriptions and copper of valley heads, as shown in Map. triangles, interconnected. The priority plates of donations reveal a widespread Cadastral plots even within urban given by the Company Directors and network of agricultural villages, areas found map expression in local the Indian Surveyor-Generals no doubt careful demarcations of village fi elds language, as can be seen from Map of provided a pivotal role in unifi cation and land rights and their precise Jaiphalwadi, in the heart of the city, and helped in creating an image of delineations with boundary fi xtures which today is a multistoreyed built imperial space, unique and precise in by measurements correct to virals. up area, though strangely bearing the the world. This system imposed from This necessarily leads to believe that same name. The microland form facets above did not contribute in any manner cadastral plans and maps of adjoining that fi nd a place in elaborate details to the build up of a co-ordinates fi elds in relation to natural features in extra-ordinary, well conceived revenue and cadastral survey system like rivers, wells, canals and tanks had cadastral survey details, as contained in the country at the grass root level, come into vogue. In all probability, in Adangal is well expressed in the and then building it up. The twain shall none of them have come down the map of Vanamadevi in coastal Tamil never meet, in the decades to follow centuries to us, possibly because they Nadu that I had myself surveyed in proceeding on different planes and the were in palm leaf manuscripts. Yet this 1951. A similar map of a village in Survey of India gradually lost sight of land of the farmers of many centuries Bihar dated 1832 is also shown.

24 March 2006 Coordinates Drawing his data base from Abul Fazl’s Ain-I-Akbaree, the eminent historian, Irfan Habib mapped on the present day map format, the revenue villages of Akbar’s subhas as defi ned by Raja Todarmal. The maps are economic as well as political, and the Moghal Atlas is an authentic land record of Akbar’s times. Jean Baptiste Joseph Gentil, the military advisor of the Nawab of Oudh, with the aid of three Indian artists compiled a large Moghal Atlas in 43 tblios of the entire Moghal empire, suhbawise, together with a listing of sarkars and parganas, again the data base being provided by the Ain-I-Akbaree, rather than by direct surveys of the revenue villages. Two of the Indian artists who helped Gentil were Niwasi Lal and Mohan Singh, both Hindus. The Atlas was completed around AD1770. The map beside is an illustration of one such subha. The map are drawn employing indigenous cartographic methods, though they carry scribe-work in French. A unique feature of the Atlas is the wealth of marginal illustrations no revenue villages in the forested of life style, people, fl ora and fauna, areas. An interesting map of Bardol Prof B Arunachalam retired as war ammunitions and even traditions. state near Solapur in India pargana is Professor and Head after forty The Atlas, held in Paris archives, is a an inam group of 30 villages (Map). years of post graduate teaching treasure house of the Moghal Period. The map is striking in that distances and research in the Department are estimated through a series of of Geography, University of Marathas in 18th century excelled evenly spaced concentric circles Mumbai. He has over 100 research in the preparation of area maps of around the main place, Bardol, at publications in reputed academic revenue villages for the aid of native distances of one Kos each. A revenue journals. He completed research rulers. They became quite handy in village map of North Kanara (Map), projects through CSIR (HRD) the fi rst half of the nineteenth century, used by Cohn Mackenzie during on Lakshadweep traditions of when the British revenue surveys the Anglo-Mysore war of 1799 was navigation, Mediaeval traditions carried out their work in Konkan and prepared by the Marathas in the of cartography and Indigenous Western Desh. There are many such second half of eighteenth century in traditions of Indian Navigation. maps, a few of which are taken for Modi script. An interesting feature He has written books on Indian illustration in this paper. The Bavda of this is the extensive depiction of Ocean Islands (Edited), Delhi, jagir (Map) in Kolhapur area is in hills, ghats, forests differentiated Essays in Maritime Studies, Vol. 1 colour, and distinguishes between as per density, variety of vegetable & 2 (Edited), Maritime Mumbai. khalsa and inam (grant) villages cover. This map delimits revenue (1999-2002) Heritage of Indian and the map is in devnagri script. A villages and names them. Sea-Navigation, M.H.S, Mumbai revenue map of Vijaydurg is in two (2002) Chola Navigation Package scripts; the text is in devnagri but the The brief analysis adequately MHS Mumbai by the Sea, MHS unique marginal legend in Modi.The demonstrates that pre-British India legend gives details of the colour code had its own systems of cadastral and This paper was presented at and groups of villages according to revenue mapping. What has come to 25th International Cartographic revenue control (Map) such as Amal light is but a small fraction. Indian Congress of Indian National Bavdekar. Two similar maps of South cartographers and revenue offi cials Cartographic Association as Konkan also exist, one of which have much to delve in the past and Todarmal Lecture during 28 Nov depicts forest areas in decorative unearth our own heritage of revenue - 1 Dec, 2005 at Sagar, MP, India tree symbols. Interestingly, there are of revenue measures and systems.

Coordinates March 2006 25 TRACKING – NSDI

study the variations and upgrade the GML prototype tested application schema to accommodate more feature types for testing.

for interoperability Several organizations including Space Application Centre (SAC), The experiment holds the key to addressing the problem Ahmedabad; National Informatics of incompatibility between different spatial data sets Centre (NIC), New Delhi; held by various national mapping agencies Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), Bombay, Kharagpur, and PS ACHARYA, RN NANDA AND A SINDAL Delhi; Ministry of Defence (MoD); National Hydrographic A sample data set from Survey of Visual Basic. The application schema Offi ce (NHO), Dehra Dun have India (SoI)’s conventional digital consists of different classes falling contributed to the deliberations of topographic data has been converted into the road domain like the distance the Working Group leading to the to Open Geo-spatial Consortium stones, road structures (e.g. bridges, development of the prototype. (OGC)’s Geography Markup culverts etc.), and roads with their Language (GML) format and tested spatial and attribute properties GML defi nes a data encoding in for interoperability between different taken from the National Spatial Extensible Markup Language leading commercial GIS packages Data Exchange (NSDE) format of (XML) for geographic data and its in a recent GML relay conducted National Spatial Data Infrastructure attributes and provides a means in New Delhi on 27 January 2006. (NSDI). To support formation of the for encoding such information An approach for the development application schema, a class diagram for storage and transport over the of a sample GML prototype was in the Unifi ed Modelling Language web. It is extensible and supports a devised by the Working Group on (UML) formalism as prescribed by wide variety of spatial tasks, from ‘Interoperability’ chaired by Major the ISO 19109 has been prepared. portrayal to analysis. It separates General M. Gopal Rao, Surveyor ISO 19109 prescribes standard rules content from presentation and enables General of India and constituted for developing application schemas the user to use his presentation under the Natural Resources Data as per procedures of International style at the end of analysis. Management System (NRDMS) – an Standardization Organisation (ISO). R & D Programme of Department The prototype has been tested and The GML prototype and the of Science & Technology. The cross-checked for any possible loss of relays are expected to throw light experiment holds the key to addressing data by graphically displaying the data on the processes involved in the the problem of incompatibility in Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG). distribution of conventional geo- between different spatial data sets spatial data in the Indian Spatial held by various National Mapping Validity of the data set has been Data Infrastructures using OGC Agencies. Overcoming the problem tested for interoperability by means standards. A strategy for ensuring through preprocessing of the data of a relay conducted on 27 January interoperability between different by user agencies has been a tedious, 2006 at NSDI Offi ce, RK Puram, data providers could be potentially investment-intensive, and time- New Delhi with the participation drawn up based on the outcomes and consuming task ever since integrated of vendors who have imported the the insights gained in the study. databases began to be built to data directly to their proprietary support developmental planning. formats. Outcomes of the test indicate (Note: Expressions made in this article direct portability of the SoI’s GML are solely of the authors and do not in As a part of the exercise, a GML prototype to the individual vendor any way refl ect the viewpoints of the application schema has been packages like Oracle Corporation’s organizations they are employed with.) developed using OGC’s GML 2.1.2 Oracle Spatial, ESRI’s ARC GIS, core schema for the ‘road’ theme and Intergraph’s Geomedia. Each of the topographic data of the SoI. vendor has displayed and edited the P S Acharya The core schema provides for the prototype by addition of a few features Department of Science & standard ways various feature data and then exported the edited data to Technology, Government sets need to be encoded for creating GML format. Import and export of of India, New Delhi application schema for the selected the data sets from and to GML format theme. The application schemas have been observed to be possible. are in turn used for preparing GML The output GML data coming out of R N Nanda, A Sindal data by populating the schema with the packages partially vary from the Survey of India, National Spatial the SoI’s road data, both geometric original GML application schema Data Infrastructure (NSDI), coordinates and attributes, using provided initially. Efforts are on to RK Puram, New Delhi

26 March 2006 Coordinates Coordinates March 2006 27 SDI Developing national SDI platform for Greece This paper aims to develop a National SDI model for Greece incorporating theoretical and conceptual aspects

S ALEXIADOU AND A RAJABIFARD

he Spatial Data Infrastructure environment and natural resources. organizations and private companies (SDI) has emerged to facilitate Thus, National SDI is a vital platform to the widest possible group of users. the access, delivery and share for sustainable development. Tof spatial information. It also As it is published in NaGi2 website results in greater effi ciency as limited In Greece, spatial data stakeholders (www.nagii.gr), the proposed core awareness of existing datasets can keep data in various coverage and data layers for the National SDI are lead organizations to duplicate data scales of the jurisdiction. Also, there the following: i) Geodetic reference collection and register. SDI is an is some SDI activity, such as the system, ii) Cadastre, iii) Soil type, initiative that creates an environment Hellenic Cadastre (HC). However, iv) Administrative boundaries, in which spatial data stakeholders legal, institutional and technological v) Land Use, vi) Land cover, vii) from different jurisdictions can arrangements have not yet been fully Residential zone boundaries, viii) co-operate and thus improve the set, so as to build a proper National Cultural inheritance, ix) Place management and exchange of data SDI model. The lack of coordination names, x) Transportation network, in an effi cient and cost-effective among the stakeholders leads to xi) Demography, xii) Hydrology, xii) manner. An SDI operates on various the delay of SDI development. DSM, xiv) Geology, xv) Utilities levels including: organizational, local, The undefi ned relationship network. Also, metadata categories state, national, regional, and fi nally between different organizations is have been proposed as follow: i) global scale (Figure 1). Each level another key issue that hinders the Data accuracy, ii) Data analysis, iii) focuses on different details of data, establishment of an SDI platform. Scale, iv) Spatial reference system, institutional arrangements and issues. v) Thematic reference system (classifi cation), vi) Responsible As part of SDI hierarchy, the National Current activities sector for the data, vii) Year of data SDI has very important role in collection, viii) Last update of the data, building the upper levels of SDI as In 2000 the Hellenic Mapping and ix) Permission of copying the data. well as stronger relationship with all Cadastral Organization (HEMCO), the other levels than any other level which is under the Ministry of To fi nance the National SDI, a of SDI, within the SDI hierarchy Environment, Physical Planning special scientifi c committee, called (Rajabifard, et al, 2003). This is and Public Works, proposed the geoinformation society (geoinfo-soc) because of its critical position in development of the Hellenic SDI, was formed (Orshoven and Beusen, the SDI hierarchy. A National SDI called NaGi2 (National Geographic 2004). These funds are covered by generates a detailed representation Information Infrastructure), so as OPIS, a program under the Ministry of the country and contributes to the economic, social, environmental and of National Economy. Moreover, the improvement of national economy and planning activities to be facilitated HellasGIS, a national geographic security, and to better management of in Greece. NaGi2 will operate as information association, joined a distributed EUROGI in 2002. HelasGIS consists network of of 200 members of various public databases based and private sectors and its task is to on a set of raise awareness of spatial information interoperable need within Greece, through standards. The seminars, international conferences, databases will publications and research programs. be electronically connected, and they will provide Issues and factors data from various resources, such The steps to develop an SDI model as ministries, vary among countries, depending Figure 1: SDI Heiarchy (Rajabifard, et al, 2000) government on country’s background and needs.

28 March 2006 Coordinates However, it is important countries In order to reach this target, mission and needs high political support, a to follow a roadmap for the SDI development is the primary key, national level agency or committee implementation. Following, aspects through which the tasks of each is required to coordinate that that are essential to be consider for the involved sector are defi ned. Thus, initiative. HEMCO is an organization, National SDI development in Greece the mission of Greek government under the auspices of Ministry of will be elaborated. Such aspects for the National SDI can be Environment, Physical Planning and include the development of SDI confi rmed as highlighted below. Public Works. For that reason an SDI vision, the required improvements in Coordinating Council is proposed at capacity of the country, the integration Mission national level being responsible for of different spatial datasets, the National SDI in Greece (Figure 3). establishment of partnerships, and the The establishment of advanced fi nancial support of National SDI. partnership arrangements amongst The proposed SDI Coordinating spatial data users stakeholders Council will provide the leadership Development of SDI vision and the increase awareness of the required to implement and maintain importance of integrating built the SDI initiative. Its priority will Vision within the SDI initiative is and natural data are essential. be to promote the use of spatial essential not only for sectors involved information in a way that underpins to SDI project but for the general Capacity building sustainable development. Within its public as well, since it helps people to responsibilities will be the production understand government’s objectives Currently, HEMCO is responsible of national strategic plans for the and work towards them. Since Greece for coordinating activities relevant to management of SDI activities already keeps spatial data in advanced, National SDI development in Greece, and annual reports detailing the the vision of a Greek National SDI and it will tender out to academia and progress of the project. In addition, can be stated as highlighted below. private sector necessary subprojects. the SDI Coordinating Council will Figure 2 illustrates the current situation. determine custodianship and promote Vision partnerships. All these activities The fact that HEMCO is the will be implemented in line with the To develop an infrastructure that responsible organization for the government’s broad development plan. allows spatial data to be available and National SDI is logical in some accessible to public, private sectors aspect, since this organization is The SDI Coordinating Council and individuals and to promote proper responsible for the HC project as will consist of the members and use of integrated spatial data for well. However, since National SDI the advisors. Each of the members effective decision-making process. encompasses not only built data, as will be responsible for expressing HEMCO keeps, but also natural data their jurisdiction’s views and plans

Ministry of Interior Prime Minister Chamber of Deputies

Fig 2: Current Institutional Capacity for National SDI Implementation in Greece

Coordinates March 2006 29 Fig 3: Proposed political structure for National development, in Greece

at the Council and promoting SDI any change and reform, since they require integration of these datasets, activities within their jurisdictions. exist only to meet country’s needs. such as the risk management, Moving to the upper levels of the land cover and use, planning and SDI Coordinating Council, the The proposed SDI Coordinating archaeological protection. The main Ministry of Environmental, Physical Council provides an overall view of the diffi culties for the integration of both Planning and Public Works can act political support required for National datasets are institutional and cultural as a secretariat and sometimes as SDI development. It is not the fi nal structures, as highlighted by Rajabifard chair as well. The Ministry is able structure, but the fi rst step. Detailed and Williamson (2005). However, to set HEMCO as the holder for that structure can be achieved within technical part has to be handled with position, since HEMCO is under its each group with further development the same level of responsibility, since auspices. In this approach, HEMCO of the current proposed one. various Greek organizations, produce will have such a responsible task their data in different projection desirable to its personnel knowledge. Additionally to the institutional systems, which could lead to problems The Prime Minister of Greece will act arrangements, it is important to focus integrating the datasets. Within the as the chair of the SDI Coordinating on improving individual capacity National SDI platform, policies Council. The PM will ensure effective during the development of SDI. and standards will be implemented, coordination and foster partnerships This can be achieved by increasing so as to foster the integration of for expansion, since during 2004 the level of awareness, through various resource data. Moreover, it is Olympic Games preparation, the seminars, trainings and workshops essential that the Greek community PM proved effective in tackling the relevant to SDI and LA concepts and is made aware of the importance of diffi culties caused by poor coordination applications. Also, focal point should integrating these two datasets, in order (Potsiou and Ioannidis 2002). be the upgrading of educational to complete the SDI project quicker system in national level. Currently, and achieve better land management. Finally, under the proposed SDI in Greece, a lot of LA courses are Coordinating Council is the secretariat offered in universities and technical Partnerships offi ce, which will manage the institutes. Subjects relevant to SDI necessary Working Groups (WGs). have to be taught as well. Keeping In order to achieve successful These WGs should be formed in people’s knowledge current helps SDI, good coordination amongst respect of the SDI components and them to adapt with technology and and within all relevant responsible requirements. Members of these groups support the evolving SDI concept. sectors is essential. Partnerships will be people from academia and should be dynamic, refl ecting the industry, having as supervisor a person, Integration of spatial datasets dynamic relationship among the SDI member of the SDI Coordinating components. Sound partnerships, Council, expert in the fi eld of the In Greece, although cadastral and also, facilitate the data exchange and WG. The main responsibility of WGs topographic datasets are kept in sharing, therefore reducing effort is to manage their tasks and provide advanced, these datasets are developed and production costs. However, proposals to the Council. The structure and managed separately. This is an it is diffi cult to achieve thriving of the WGs should be fl exible to obstacle in tackling situations that partnerships because of diverse

30 March 2006 Coordinates Coordinates March 2006 31 priorities among the organizations, of mapping techniques and the lack of awareness of partnerships growth of Land Administration importance, limited technical Systems (LASs) promote the need components and poor legal framework. of large-scale data in National SDI. Therefore, the SDI conceptual model Successful SDI can be achieved that will be discussed proposes the through the accurate defi nition of integration of SDI and LA. As it is the roles and responsibilities within presented in Figure 4, which has the partnerships, as proposed by been adopted from the Centre for Grant and Williamson (2003). Proper Spatial Data Infrastructures and Land policies and legal framework will also Administration from the University foster the collaboration among Greek of Melbourne, the integration of SDI stakeholders. Vital to achieve effective and LA sectors results in achieving partnerships is that the involved sectors sustainable development objectives. have to understand its importance. There are two principal SDI Funding model development models: the product- based model and the process-based The funding model has a signifi cant model (Rajabifard and Williamson, Fig5: Conceptual SDI Model for Greece role in a National SDI. It is vital for a 2001). These models explain the jurisdiction to clarify the purpose of formation of SDI in two different different stakeholders. In this approach the need of a funding model, which ways. According to the authors, the – and considering the NaGi2 defi nition in turn should be able to respond to fi rst model focuses on linking various (section “Current Initiatives in Spatial the country’s economic resources databases, in order to form the SDI, Data Infrastructures”) – the appropriate (e.g. national and international whilst the second model details the components for the National SDI in organizations). In terms of the Greek framework that fosters the management Greece would be: i) Access network, ii) National SDI, OPIS will control the of datasets and applications and Policies, iii) Standards, iv) Metadata, v) funding of SDI initiative. Its main facilitates the communication Data and vi) Users. Figure 5 presents target is to manage European Union channels. Based on these descriptions the proposed conceptual SDI model. (EU) funds relevant to geographic we can infer that both models are The model has been adopted from information activity and defi ne interlinking to each other, since Rajabifard and Williamson (2001). It public and private contribution datasets itself and the management illustrates the dynamic relationship in the budget (OPIS, 2001). of spatial information are mutually that National SDI components have. vital for the development of SDI. Although the OPIS is well organized, pricing policy is also essential to The Greek National SDI model should Technological framework be implemented in Greece, since it follow the process-based approach, affects the funding process. Moreover, which focuses on management and The Technological Framework that cost-benefi ts analysis is essential to communication among datasets kept proposed within the National SDI be applied and compare the returns by various stakeholders. This model model and through which users will with the investment. The profi t is proposed because the National SDI access the located datasets, consists gained from National SDI should not will be more than a tool for linking the of three components: i) Policies, ii) be only economic, but also social, available databases. It will go beyond Standards and iii) Access Network. technical and environmental. that stage by creating an environment able to facilitate the sharing, exchange Access Network and management of data among SDI model and components Since the development in technology for Greek national SDI forces people to use the Internet for accessing and delivering data, the SDI Conceptual Model establishment of a complete access network is required within the National The need to integrate large-scale data SDI. A Technical WG that has been such as cadastre, road network, street proposed under the SDI Coordinating addresses and political boundaries Council will develop the technical with medium to large national natural architecture for the access network resources has been increasing over in line with the development plan of the last years (Williamson, et al. Fig 4: Integration of SDI and LA to and the available resources within 2005). The constant development achieve Sustainable Development the Greek government. Moreover,

32 March 2006 Coordinates the access network of the HC can Datasets layers in National SDI. Therefore, be used as a foundation. This is the conceptual National SDI model, an opportunity to improve that Metadata proposed in this paper, contains marine network, allowing more services data as core dataset (Figure 5). In this beyond land information activities. Metadata provides information about approach, sustainable development stakeholder of the data, so users will be promoted in advance. Standards know where they should acquire the data. It presents information As countries worldwide develop about the date of data creation, any People National SDIs, the need for standards potential update of data, its accuracy, is becoming a basic requirement. geographic extent and coordination Another important SDI component Standards are useful for producing, system and other technical description. is the people. This includes private sharing, accessing and using data. With this information users can companies, public organizations, They, also, ensure compatibility assess whether or not the data is academia, and individuals, who provide between data from different resources suitable for their applications. data or need it to develop applications (e.g. built and natural datasets). or produce other data. Their For the Greek SDI, based on the relationship is vital, since all these Since Greek National SDI will be proposed metadata by Information groups are required in order to have, node within the European SDI, it Society (section “Current Initiatives integrate and utilize data effectively. would be benefi cial to comply with in Spatial Data Infrastructures”), Moreover, people are the driving force European standards (ISO/TC211, users are able to get information of SDI development, because of the CEN/TC287 - 278, and OGC). about the technical characteristics very strong relationship they have Therefore it is not required for Greece of the data and their stakeholders with all the other components of SDI to create new standards. If European and therefore to judge whether the platform. For instance, people establish standards are followed, there will data is appropriate for their needs. the access network and set policies not be issues of interoperability Thus, the list is complete and it and standards according to which they within the Regional SDI. does not require any change. access data. Thus, SDI initiative starts and ends with people and their desires Policies Data drive the evolution of SDI concept. Therefore, all residents of Greece Policies, within the environment of SDI The number of the core data layers should be allowed to access the data. should be able to address reliability, within the SDI varies among different testability, verifi ability, accessibility, National SDIs, and depends on the usability, interoperability and geography of the country, the strategies SDI implementation plan maintenance of spatial data (Wallace, of SDI Coordinating Council and the 2005). So far, policy making within Regional SDI that the National belongs The SDI roadmap is important for Greece is incomplete (Orshoven and to. Regarding the Greek National the implementation of National Beusen, 2004). However, the need SDI, the number of proposed core SDI, because without following any for detailed policy on accessing data data by Information Society, is fi fteen action schedule the project will not and particularly sensitive data (e.g. (section “Current Initiatives in Spatial be successful. The development of military buildings, culturally protected Data Infrastructures”). According such a plan depends upon socio- areas, personal data) is necessary in to ETeMII (2001) (European economic, technological and political building of National SDI. A Policy Territorial Management Information conditions of the country. Since SDI WG that has been proposed under the Infrastructure), the proposed core data development is by nature a long-term SDI Coordinating Council will set for both Regional and National SDIs project and a country’s status is always policy that will cover public, private are the following six: i) Geodetic evolving, SDI implementation plan sector and academia and support reference system, ii) Ortho-imagery, should encompass dynamic approach privacy, security, confi dentiality and iii) Topographic mapping, iv) Units of the required actions. Considering intellectual property rights within the of property rights, v) Addresses, the current status of Greece, a jurisdiction. Each organization should vi) Units of administration roadmap for the country’s National be responsible to respect and enforce SDI is proposed (Figure 6). Within that policy. Moreover, the development Although Information Society’s the SDI development, if it is feasible, of national guideline policy documents, proposal includes all the layers of the some activities can be implemented which will be supported by legislation ETeMII’s list, none of them contain in parallel. A specifi c duration is and be available both to stakeholders offshore data as a core layer. Having diffi cult to be given, because of the and users of spatial data, will in mind that Greece has a very long evolving nature of the SDI platform. signifi cantly foster the success of SDI. coastline, marine cadastre should be considered as one of the core A major priority for the Greek

Coordinates March 2006 33 jurisdiction is the formation of the Coordinating Council, because at that and upgrade the institutional structure SDI Coordinating Council, since it time the responsibilities would have as well as the SDI components. will have leading role in National SDI. been allocated and each member will In this stage, the appropriate WGs have clearly defi ned task. After the will be created and memberships and half part of this stage, the country has Conclusion responsibilities will be delegated to clear idea of what they will implement proper sectors. Next step is to defi ne and therefore, the development of the This paper evaluated the current the SDI vision and mission, so as SDI implementation plan can begin. situation in spatial activity in the country to have a clear target Greece, discussed the major issues to achieve. Since one of the main Then, the actual implementation for the development of a Greek tasks of the Council is to determine phase follows. It consists of pilot National SDI and proposed a strategies, the SDI strategies action projects to be completed in the early National SDI conceptual model follows. By clarifying the strategies, stage of the phase. These foster the and its components. Finally, it the country saves time and money smooth execution of the project, proposed a roadmap for a complete from unnecessary activities. acting as a test for proposed methods and consistent implementation and plans. During the pilot projects of the National SDI platform. While the selection of the Council implementation, they are assessed members takes place, the government and the jurisdictional major projects is able to develop and propose will start. These can be either short- Acknowledgments organizational structures able to support term or long-term projects. Regarding the establishment and maintenance the deliverables during the SDI The authors would like to acknowledge of SDI. Within this task the capacity implementation, these will be annual the fi nancial support from the State building will be reformed, so as the reports relevant to the activities Scholarships Foundation of the Greek involved sectors to get improved and that take place in each phase. Government and the Centre for qualifi ed, to support the SDI project. Spatial Data Infrastructures and Land In addition, the government has to Administration of the University of The SDI conceptual design can be develop a benchmarking strategy Melbourne, Australia. However, the developed after the formation of SDI to monitor SDI progress with views and opinions expressed in this corresponding paper are those of the authors and do activities not necessarily refl ect the position of in Europe. the above mentioned organizations Indicators, such as the level of awareness, Sofi a Alexiadou capacity in the comes from Greece. community She is currently and system studying Masters availability can of Geographic be used in this Information Technology at the process. Also, Department of Geomatics, in the the maintenance University of Melbourne, Australia. of the overall [email protected] platform is very important, in order to have Dr Abbas a functioning Rajabifard is SDI. A clear Deputy Director maintenance of the Centre and support for SDIs and strategy is Land Administration, and a needed. SDI Senior Research Fellow in the maintenance Department of Geomatics at is diffi cult and the University of Melbourne. challenging and [email protected] requires effort and fi nance. The complete paper, with The country detailed references is available Fig 6: SDI Roadmap has to maintain at www.mycoordinates.org

34 March 2006 Coordinates Coordinates March 2006 35 MODELING Spatial and dynamic modeling techniques: An outlook The paper takes a look at the decision support tools that have been developed to address land resource applications and challenges ahead

NOVALINE JACOB AND KRISHNAN R

raditionally GIS of dynamic process like land are considered degradation process, land use to perform four change or settlement dynamics Tbasic functions and are often complex in on spatial data; input, nature and has been addressed storage, analysis and with Cellular Automata, a output. Of these, analysis dynamic spatial modeling tool. has received least attention in commercial systems. Multi-criteria Typically, a variety of decision making map description and manipulation functions Multi criteria decision-making are defi ned by commercial (MCDM) problems involve vendors as being “Spatial a set of alternatives that are analysis”, but they have evaluated on the basis of a little bearing on the set of evaluation criteria. use of this term in the Regional The authors have worked on many The multi criteria decision analysis Science Community. A large set of these techniques and have has recently received considerable of techniques like Operations addressed various land resource attention in GIS. Alternate approaches Research methods, Multi-Objective related application problems. This to GIS-based multi criteria analysis Decision-Making methods, Multi paper provides an analysis of have been suggested to overcome Criteria Decision Making methods various decision-making techniques, the problem of weighting and data like Analytical Hierarchy Process, which would help GIS to evolve integration. Analytical Hierarchy Compromise Programming, Fuzzy from a mere manipulation tool Process (AHP) was used as a logic techniques etc. have to be to a more analytical tool. weighting strategy and Compromise included in these packages. Programming (CP) technique was used for data integration. The currently available spatial Decision-making tools decision support models are and applications Analytical Hierarchy Process predominantly based on Boolean logic, which gives no room for Spatial problems could be a simple Combining different factors, some imprecision in information, human single objective problem involving exclusionary and some expedient, cognition, perception and thought multiple criteria in the analysis requires a weighting factor. AHP processes. The emergence of Fuzzy like landslide hazard zonation, is an approach that can be used to logic provides a framework under site selection for check dam etc. determine the relative importance of which these can be handled. While Or it could be a complex multi a set of activities or criteria through Fuzzy expert systems have been objective problem involving multiple pair wise comparison approach. developed, fuzzy spatial analysis is criteria like land use planning. still a very new area. Modeling has Compromise Programming three broad aspects: (a) To explain Also, real–world spatial problems a phenomenon (b) To predict a requires optimization at various Another important problem in GIS trend or future (c) to act as a tool of stages. Traditional Optimization is how to effi ciently integrate data discovery. The fi rst two have had a problems are non-spatial in nature. from various sources. Weighted long history, but several new tools Optimization in spatial domain can linear additive model is the one that like Cellular Automata, Diffusion be done by integrating optimization is widely used for data integration models, Random fi eld models, techniques with GIS. There are also and is done with the help of Multi Agents etc. have emerged. problems, which requires prediction algebraic functions available in any

36 March 2006 Coordinates commercial GIS package. In this, a In Multi-Objective Multi-Criteria availability, fi nance, market price, total compensation between criteria is Decision-Making problems, what is water use, self requirement has assumed, meaning that a decrease of needed is the relative suitability for been attempted to derive agriculture one unit on one criterion can be totally different objectives. We propose a development plans. Integrating compensated by an equivalent gain Fuzzy classifi cation approach in GIS LP with GIS involves issues like on any other criteria. Compromise for solving Multi-Objective Multi- spatialization of LP results and also Programming technique, is a method Criteria Decision-Making problem. taking the constraints’ coeffi cients to arrive at non-compensatory by performing preliminary analysis solution. It measures the deviations Fuzzy Classifi cation in GIS in GIS. Optimal proportion of area from the ideal point in each data for land use transformation after layer and a min max rule is applied Fuzzy Classifi cation in GIS approach satisfying the constraints is obtained wherein minimum of the maximum not only solves a multi-objective from LP. LP does not provide a spatial weighted deviations are sought for multi-criteria decision-making representation for the suggested land getting a composite layer. The best problem, but also overcomes the use allocations. It would only say compromise solution is defi ned information loss seen in classical set how much hectares of each land use as that which is at the minimum theory-based decision-making. The should be changed, but would have no distance from the theoretical ideal. task of rating land suitability is to indications on which specifi c hectares classify areas into land use classes should be altered. Spatial mapping of These methods have been used according to their land characteristics. LP results was done by performing to solve problems like landslide By representing areas as vectors in a land suitability analysis in GIS. hazard zonation and site selection feature space, one can use the distance for water harvesting structures. between feature vector corresponding Dynamic Spatial Modeling to an area and a land use class as Multi-ojective multi-criteria a measure of their similarity. The Most current GIS techniques have decision making similarity indicates the extent to limitations in modeling changes which the area belongs to the land use in the landscape over time, but the Combination of Analytical class. This technique has been used integration of Cellular Automata Hierarchy Process and Compromise to suggest alternate land use / crop. (CA) and GIS has demonstrated Programming techniques worked It is also possible to use the stored considerable potential . More well in solving Single Objective fuzzy membership grades for database sophisticated CA model has been Multi-Criteria problems like Site queries like: Find the second most built by improving the state-based Selection for Water Harvesting suitable crop for a particular area; cellular automata with suitability Structure, Landslide Hazard Zonation. List all the areas which are suitable constraints, determined using the But such a combination cannot be for both soya bean and sugarcane land degradation driver variables, for effectively used for solving Multi- and fi nd the suitability value etc. simulating land degradation scenarios. Objective Multi-Criteria problems. It is multi-objective in the sense Optimization technique Traditionally, CA simulation only one has to perform site suitability uses a binary value to address the analysis for multiple objectives A big vacuum exists in the fi eld status of conversion based on the which include individual crops or of Spatial Modeling with regard calculation of probability. The land use practice like agro forestry, to inclusion of socio-economic probability of conversion is calculated silvipasture, etc. Multiple criteria data. There are inherent problems based on some kind of neighborhood like land use, slope, soil, landform, in incorporating socio-economic function. Usually, the probability groundwater prospects, etc, are data, which is non-spatial, with the is further compared with a random involved in analyzing each objective. spatial land-related data. Until socio- value to decide whether a cell is economic data is involved in the converted or not (1 for converted and Though the Multi-Objective Multi- model, whatever we do will remain 0 for non-converted). In our model, Criteria Decision-Making problem in the air and never gets practiced the status of cell has a continuous can be broken into several single in the ground. An attempt has been suitability value between 0 and 1 to objective multi criteria decision made to use socio-economic data represent the stepwise selection or making problem, solving this problem to generate optimum agriculture conversion process. A cell will not by applying combination of Analytical development plans, by integrating be suddenly selected or converted. Hierarchy Process and Compromise Linear Programming (LP) with GIS. Programming techniques is not A stochastic disturbance term is going to be straight forward and Identifi cation of optimal crop that added to represent unknown errors effective. Moreover only absolute maximizes productivity or maximizes during the simulation. This can suitability within an objective can be employment or minimizes water allow the generated patterns to be addressed using MCDM techniques. use, subject to constraints like, labor closer to reality. Suitability values

Coordinates March 2006 37 are converted into probability But today it has come to be known dynamics are determined by the set values by introducing a stochastic as Data Mining. Data Mining tries of rules that defi ne the state of each disturbance parameter. Thus this to discover patterns that are not cell at the next time step, based on the rule defi nes the probability of site apparent or that are not looked for state of a cell itself and the states of selection in terms of land suitability. specifi cally. While there is a close the neighboring cells. The difference interaction between statistics and between CA and MA is mainly in The model developed for simulating Data Mining, the latter in some sense the characterization of the cells. the spatial dynamic process can automates the statistical process. A Whereas each cell is defi ned by its be used as a planning tool to test variety of tools have been proposed state relatively to a single qualitative the effects of different land use for Data Mining. These include variable in a CA application, it has a change scenarios. Cellular Automata Neural Networks, Genetic Algorithms, broader possibility of characterization are seen not only as a framework Classifi cation and Regression in a MA approach. The state of each for dynamic spatial modeling, Trees (CART), Clustering, Rule cell is multi-dimensional and refers but as a paradigm for thinking Induction etc. Again Data Mining both to qualitative variables (type of about complex spatial-temporal is today closely linked to Business land use, for example) and quantitative phenomena and an experimental environments and simple databases. ones (population, for example). laboratory for testing ideas. The use of Data Mining along with a Therefore Multi Agents are the most GIS will call for the adaptation of the appropriate modeling technique to above tools for spatial data handling. model multi-dimensional dynamic Challenges phenomenon. Multi Agents are seen Multi Agent Systems to be as an effi cient technique to In spite of the proven abilities and build Collaborative Decision-Making increasingly widespread adoption of Often, differential equations are systems as well and its potential Decision Support Systems, there are used in dynamic modeling. The in this fi eld has to be explored. number of areas where signifi cant Cellular Automata / Multi Agent improvements can be made. approach (CA/MA) can also be used for dynamic modeling and differs in Conclusion Fuzzy Logic methods in GIS many respect from sets of differential equation, both in the treatment of There is an ever-increasing demand Fuzzy logic methods can be used the data and in the working of the to automatically derive information as a representational and reasoning model. There is a conceptual shift and make decisions out of the device in GIS. Geographical from mathematical descriptions huge volumes of data available. data has a number of properties, of a dynamic model to rule-based This requires development and which present challenges to spatial specifi cations of the behavior of integration of effi cient tools in modeling process. These include individual agents. This is benefi cial GIS to enable it to evolve into an complex defi nitions of locations, because rule-based specifi cations are Analytical GIS. The authors have multidimensionality, and the inherent often probably closer to the mental studied and worked on many of fuzziness in many features and model people have of the systems, and these analytical decision-making their relationships. There are two because data from fi eld studies may techniques for various land resource issues that can be addressed. be more directly mapped into agents applications. It goes without saying (i) Representation issues: The behavioral rules than into system level that, further research in this direction database needs to be able to equations. Models of differential is challenging and worth pursuing. hold information about features equation may include hypotheses whose location and or extent about the behavior of the elements at are not known precisely. the micro level, but they defi ne rules Novaline Jacob (ii) Analysis issue: The expert that are applied at the macro/global Scientist “SE” performing spatial analysis may level. On the contrary, the information ADRIN, Dept. prefer to work with natural and in a CA/MA model is treated at the of Space, expressive queries such as – local level from which global pattern Secunderabad evolves. Comparing the MA approach [email protected] What are the areas which are NEAR to CA also helps to illustrate its to the town, SOUTH of the river specifi cities. As in the case of CA, the and SUITABLE for agriculture? evolution of a cell is defi ned in a MA Krishnan R approach by a set of transition rules Director, ADRIN, Data Mining handling local criteria. Within CA/MA Department framework each cell can be in one of Space, Modeling as a source of discovery was of the several states (land use class), Secunderabad earlier called Exploratory modeling. which can change over time. Change [email protected]

38 March 2006 Coordinates Coordinates March 2006 39 DISASTER MANAGEMENT National GPS programme for earthquake hazard assessment Department of Science and Technology, Government of India has launched a National Programme on GPS for geodetic studies and monitoring the crustal deformations

MANORANJAN MOHANTY

The GPS technology is being used • Tezpur University, Tezpur been set up at Portblair with the extensively all over the world to • Mizoram University, Aizawl help of NGRI, Hyderabad and India generate useful data for different • Manipur University, Imphal Meterological Department. It is also purposes. The Department of Science • Nagaland University, Kohima proposed to set up few permanent and Technology, Government of India • Gauwahati University, Gauwahati stations in Gujarat and Rajasthan has evolved a programme on GPS to • M S University, Vadodora area since very few permanent study crustal deformation processes • Regional Research stations are available in these areas. with the following objectives : Laboratory, Bhopal Met packages are being installed i. To establish the rate of at some permanent GPS stations movement of the tectonic to facilitate the above studies and plates relative to each other. Status and achievements optimize the scientific outcome. ii. To establish the strain rates in different tectonic domains of India The implementation of the National GPS Data Centre and to constrain strain partitioning National GPS Programme for in discrete tectonic domains/ Earthquake Hazard Assessment, Considering the importance of blocks and identify the area of as recommended by the GPS management of a huge volume of higher strain build up/ release. Expert Group, has been taken GPS data collected from different up by the DST since 1998. An GPS-related projects, a National extensive network of permanent, GPS Data Centre has been set Participating organisations semi-permanent and field GPS up at Survey of India, Dehradun. • Survey of India, Dehradun stations is being established by the Continuous GPS data from all the • CSIR Centre for participating organizations, and permanent stations as mentioned Mathematical Modeling a National GPS data centre has above are being sent to the data and Computer Simulation, been established at Survey of India center at SoI. The SoI is also Bangalore (CMMACS). (SoI), Dehradun. Specifications of planning to make the data available • Wadia Institute of Himalayan the GPS instrumentation for this to all authorized users through ftp/ Geology, Dehradun (WIHG) purpose have also been formulated. internet, so as to reduce response • Indian Institute of Technology, A Committee has been constituted time for data delivery and eliminate Mumbai (IITM) for overseeing the programme. A avoidable manpower costs. • Indian Institute of Technology, brief report on these Kanpur (IITK) activities is given below: • Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, Mumbai (IIG) Establishment of • Centre for Earth Science permanent stations Studies, Trivandrum (CESS) • G B Pant Institute of Himalayan So far, the DST has Ecology & Development, set up 35 Permanent Almorah (GBPIHED) GPS Stations all • National Geophysical Research over the country in Institute, Hyderabad (NGRI) collaboration with • India Meteorological Department Scientific organizations (IMD), New Delhi and Universities . • GND University, Amritsar Necessary efforts are • Cochin University, Cochin also being put to set up • Indian Institute of Astrophyiscs, few more permanent Bangalore (IIA) stations . Recently a Figure 1: Permanent GPS stations network set • Geological Survey of India (GSI) permanent station has up under the programme (As on 31st Dec 2004)

40 March 2006 Coordinates out GPS observation in Jammu and Kashmir with the help of Military.

Crustal deformation studies

The 26th December 2004, earthquake was the biggest event in Indian history that killed thousands of people by creating a big Tsunami. It was also the largest Seismic event to strike in the era of modern GPS Technology. The recent fi ndings of the GPS data indicate that the area of 4500 km-radius experienced clearly measurable surface displacements.

Just immediate after the earthquake, few pilot projects were supported for carrying out GPS observations in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The SoI, (Dehradun), NGRI (Hyderabad), CMMACS ( Bangalore) and CESS (Trivandrum) carried out some campaign mode studies in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

GPS measurements by Survey of India during March 2004 and January 2005 at twelve sites in the Andaman- Nicobar Islands which provided a Transformation Parameters on this datum. In order to make comprehensive and reliable estimates optimum use of GPS-based coordinate of coseismic movements, slip on The reference frame for GPS is World system, it has become essential to rupture and rupture characteristics Geodetic System-1984 (WGS-84). determine transformation parameters of 26 December 2004 giant Sumatra GPS measurement at terrestrial sites for conversion of coordinate of earthquake. It has been reported therefore give coordinates on WGS- points from WGS-84 Datum to by NGRI, Hyderabad that there 84 Datum. This datum is different Everest Datum, and vice versa. was a coseismic horizontal ground from that of the Indian Geodetic displacement of 1.5-5.0 m in the datum i.e., Everest Datum. All In view of the importance of this SW to WSW direction in Andaman SoI topographical maps are based task, DST had sanctioned a project Islands, 4.0-6.5 m in SW direction entitled “Determination of in Nicobar Islands, coseismic uplift Transformation Parameters of 0.5-1.0 m in the North Andaman between Everest Datum and Island, subsidence of less than 1 m in World Geodetic System-1984 Middle, South and Little Andaman (WGS-84 Datum)” to the SoI. Islands and subsidence of 1.1-2.8 m in The SoI has already completed Nicobar Islands occurred. Recently, a GPS measurements at 272 old permanent GPS station has been set up GT stations for this purpose. at Port Blair to continuously monitor The transformation parameters the movement of the Andaman and between WGS-84 and Everest Nicober Island. Similar results have datum have been successfully also been reported by CMMACS determined for the entire (Bangalore) and CESS (Trivandrum) country including Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicober Manpower development Islands, except for the state of Jammu and Kashmir region Considering the need of suitable due to insurgency problem. manpower in GPS technology, Fig-2: Different GPS Field Campaigns The SoI is planning to carry efforts are made by the Seismology

Coordinates March 2006 41 MARK YOUR CALENDAR

April 2006 26th ESRI User Conference and National Workshop on Role of 4th Survey and GIS Summit Geodesy in Surveying Practices 07- 11 August, San Diego, CA, USA 10 - 11 April, 2006, Geodetic & Research [email protected] Branch, Survey of India, Dehradun www.esri.com [email protected] Digital Earth 2006 IEEE/ION PLANS 2006 27-30 Aug 25- 27 April, San Diego, CA United States www.digitalearth06.org.nz http://www.PLANS2006.org [email protected] Geo-Siberia 2006 September 2006 26-28 April in Novosibirsk, Russia http://www.sibfair.ru/en/ex- WALIS Forum hibition.php?id=533 14 - 15 September Perth Convention Centre, Australia May 2006 [email protected] www.walis.wa.gov.au The North American Defense Geospatial Intelligence Conference 17th UNRCC for Asia and the Pacifi c/ 8-10 May, USA 12th Meeting of the PCGIAP [email protected] Fig.3: Existing GPS sites by 18-22 September, Bangkok http://www.gsi.go.jp/PCGIAP/ various institutes for monitoring 4th Taipei International postseismic deformation. Conference on Digital Earth ION GNSS 2006 25- 26 May, Taiwan, Taipei 26 - 29 September, Fort Worth TX, USA [email protected] www.ion.org/meetings#gnss http://deconf.pccu.edu.tw/ Division, DST to organize short October 2006 term courses, workshops and June 2006 training programmes. As a result of Intergeo 2006 this, 5 training programmes/short Geoinformatics for Rural Development 10 -12October, Munich, Germany term courses have already been 5 - 8 June, Hyderabad, India [email protected] http://www.intergeo.de organized at WIHG Dehradun, IIT [email protected] Bombay, and CMMACS Bangalore International Conference in GIS and Health XXIII International FIG Congress Back in which nearly 100 persons from 27-29 June, Hong Kong 15-20, Germany, Munich various Universities and research [email protected] http://www.fi g2006.de/index2.html http;//geog.hku.hk/HealthGIS2006 Offi ce@fi g2006.de institutes have been trained. July 2006 The 12th IAIN World Congress 2006 18-20 October, Jeju, Korea Acknowledgements ISPRS Commission I Symposium: “Paris http:// 203.230.240.83/ 2006: From Sensors to Imagery” Geoinformatics 2006 Author is thankful to all the 03 - 06 July, Paris, France 20-21 October, Wuhan, China [email protected] [email protected] participating organizations who are www.colloquium.fr/sfpt2006 actively involved in DST projects The 12th IAIN World Congress 2006 for providing required information 3rd Annual Meeting (AOGS 2006) 18-20 November, Korea in respect of their projects. 10-14 July, Singapore [email protected] http://asiaoceania-conference.org/ November 2006 COAST - GIS 06 Manoranjan 13-17 July Wollongong and GSDI-9 - Geospatial Information: Mohanty Scientist- Sydney, Australia tool for reducing poverty www.uow.edu.au/science/eesc/ D, Seismology 03-11 November, Santiago de Chile, Chile conferences/coastgis06 [email protected] Division, http://www.igm.cl/gsdi9 Department of IGNSS 2006 Symposium on GPS/GNSS Science and Technology, New 17-21 July ,Gold Coast, Australia Trimble Dimensions Delhi, [email protected] http://www.ignss.org/conf2006/index.php 05 - 08 November, Las Vegas NV http://www.trimble.com August 2006

International Workshop on 3D Geoinformation 7-8 August, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia [email protected] www.fksg.utm.my/3dgeoinfo2006

42 March 2006 Coordinates the large antenna is Alcatel Demonstrates activated and tracks Emergency Service the satellite. GIOVE Based On Galileo GIOVE A Transmits A orbits at an altitude Precursor EGNOS Loud And Clear of 23 260 kilometres, making a complete journey around the Earth Alcatel Alenia Space announced that in 14 hours and 22 minutes. it will demonstrate the fi rst emergency After launch and platform service based on EGNOS, a precursor commissioning, GIOVE A started The GIOVE A mission also represents of Galileo. The integrated end-to- signal transmission on 12 January an opportunity for the testing of a end Location-Based Solution (LBS), and the quality of these signals is key element of the future Galileo designed under the coordination now being checked. This checking system, the user receivers. The fi rst of Alcatel Alenia Space, enables process is employing several facilities, Galileo experimental receivers, the Civil Security forces and Fire including the Navigation Laboratory manufactured by Septentrio of Brigades to locate emergency calls at ESA’s European Space Research Belgium, were installed at the from mobile phones and effi ciently and Technology Centre (ESTEC), Redu and Chilbolton In Orbit Test guide the intervention team. in the Netherlands, the ESA ground Stations and at the Guildford, United Using EGNOS-enhanced accurate station at Redu, in Belgium, and the Kingdom, premises of Surrey Satellite positioning integrated with the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Technology Limited (SSTL), the telecom network and the emergency (RAL) Chilbolton Observatory manufacturer of the satellite and now control centre application, the service in the United Kingdom. in charge of its control in orbit. improves the speed and effi ciency of the rescue, increases the team safety Chilbolton’s 25 metre antenna makes and optimizes the resources needed it possible to acquire the signals for overall incident management. from GIOVE A and verify they conform to the Galileo system’s design specifi cation. Each time the satellite is visible from Chilbolton, 44 March 2006 Coordinates