New Delhi, Mar 23: Space-based inputs are being extensively used for disaster monitoring and damage assessment in Jammu and Kashmir, with applications covering major natural calamities such as floods, landslides and forest fires, the Centre informed Parliament on Monday.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Jitendra Singh, said geospatial products including flood inundation maps, landslide inventory and forest fire detection are being disseminated through ISRO’s geoportals such as Bhuvan and the National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM).
He said ISRO has also developed a customised mobile application and dashboard for the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department to facilitate forest fire reporting and visualisation using geospatial technology.
The Minister said the Department of Space, in collaboration with the J&K Remote Sensing Application Centre (JKRSAC), is implementing several space application programmes in the Union Territory. These include the Natural Resources Census, National Wetland Inventory, biodiversity characterisation, desertification and land degradation mapping, as well as disaster management support initiatives.
He added that the Space-Based Information Support for Decentralized Planning–Update (SIS-DP Update) programme has also been jointly executed to enable evidence-based planning across sectors such as agriculture, forestry, rural development and watershed management.
Highlighting capacity-building initiatives, Singh said ISRO has established the Satish Dhawan Centre for Space Science at the Central University of Jammu, providing faculty and research scholars access to its facilities to enhance learning and understanding of space technology.
He further said ISRO has set up the Space Technology Incubation Centre (STIC) at NIT Jalandhar and the Regional Academic Centre for Space (RACS) at NIT Kurukshetra for the northern region, including J&K. These centres enable students and institutions to undertake space technology-related projects by submitting proposals and collaborating directly with ISRO.
Additionally, under ISRO’s RESPOND (Sponsored Research) programme, academic institutions across the country can submit project proposals and participate in space technology research, he said.
The Minister said ISRO also supports disaster early warning and coordination through the National Database for Emergency Management under the Integrated Control Room for Emergency Response of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The platform integrates satellite-based inputs with alerts issued by agencies such as the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Central Water Commission (CWC) and Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment (DGRE), and provides decision-support tools for emergency response and post-disaster assessments.
The system also hosts the India Disaster Resource Network database to strengthen coordination and response during emergencies, he added.
