Geo-informatics centre to be operational by year end

SHIMLA: An ambitious Aryabhatta Geo-Informatics and Space Application Centre (AGISAC), that would enable layering of developmental data with GIS mapping for formulating micro planning, would start functioning by end of the year, cabinet minister Ravinder Ravi disclosed here on Monday.
After presiding over the election manifesto, cabinet sub-committee consisting of health minister Rajiv Bindal and rural development minister Jai Ram Thakur said a state centre for climate change was also being established.
Soon after hearing a lecture by T P Singh, director Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-Informatics (BISAG), Gujarat in November 2010, chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal had announced setting up a state geo-informatics and space application centre based on the Gujarat model. The technology developed by BISAG was to be applied by revenue, forest, education, health, agriculture, horticulture and rural development departments in the first phase. By super imposing land revenue data layered with road industry and other relevant data on a GIS map, the Gujarat institute has enabled the state government to take early and informed decisions.
Based on the technology application, a decision for identifying suitable land for re-locating Nano plant in Gujarat was done within hours against the usual time of three days, director Singh had disclosed in his lecture.