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NITI Aayog Launches Geospatial Energy Map of India

Posted on October 19, 2021 by admin1  36

In News

  • NITI Aayog in collaboration with ISRO has developed a comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS) Energy Map of India.
    • The development was also supported by the Energy Ministries of the Government of India.

What is the Geospatial Energy Map of India?

  • The map attempts to identify and locate all primary and secondary sources of energy and their transportation/transmission networks.
    • It thus provides a comprehensive view of energy production and distribution in a country.
  • It enables visualisation of energy installations across the nation such as
    • conventional power plants,
    • oil and gas wells,
    • petroleum refineries,
    • coal fields and coal blocks,
    • district-wise data on renewable energy power plants and renewable energy resource potential, etc.
  • It has 27 thematic layers for easy yet elaborate representation of the aforementioned data.
  • It leverages the latest advancements in web-GIS technology and open-source software to make it interactive and user friendly.
    • It is a unique effort aimed at integrating energy data scattered across multiple organizations.
    • The map presents all the collected information in a consolidated, visually appealing graphical manner.
  • The GIS-based Energy Map of India can be accessed at 

Expected Benefits of Geospatial Energy Map

  • More effective Planning and Better Investment decisions:
    • The illustrative, consolidated data will be useful in planning and making investment decisions for such a vast country as India.
    • GIS mapping of energy assets will also ensure real-time, integrated planning of the energy sector of India.
  • Higher Efficiency in Production and Distribution:
    • Energy markets have immense potential to bring in efficiency gains.
    • Consolidated data can foster research in logistics and help in cheaper transmission with the least loss.
  • Disaster Management:
    • It will also aid in disaster management using available energy assets.

Geographical Information System

  • It is an interactive system that aids in analysis, building inter-relation, visualization, comparison and interpretation.
  • It is a graphic aided spatial analysis tool.
    • It helps in the management of Spatio-temporal information by embedding multiple levels of data sets into maps. 
  • It offers the following advantages:
    • Flexibility 
      • System data can be easily edited and altered according to changing requirements.
    • Representation
      • It provides a condensed form of graphical data representation which otherwise would have been cumbersome to plot on numerous maps and figures.
    • Scalability 
      • Depending upon the requirement, the scale of the model can be changed.
    • Recording, Retrieval and access
    • Multivariate inputs 
      • GIS can work on a number of unconventional variables thus aiding in easy comparison.
  • Applications
    • Agriculture 
      • Pre Harvest: Field level planning, feeder canal construction, local topography mapping, seed sowing lanes
      • During Harvest: 
        • Boosting yield by predicting the effect of temperature, precipitation, 
        • Erosion control, 
        • Soil health management, 
        • Integrated pest management, nutrient management
      • Post Harvest: Efficient storage
      • Institutional: Land record-keeping in digital format, farm infra planning, precision agriculture
    • Defence
      • Surveillance
      • Topography mapping and terrain evaluation, 
      • Identifying blind spots, 
      • Prospective danger zones,
      • Developing communication lines, unstable land identification
    • Disaster Management
    • Changes in Geographical Phenomenon and Climate Change
    • Safety, Law and Order
    • Insurance Claims
    • …  and any more
  • In India, NRSC is the nodal agency that is utilizing this technology for the nation’s progress and development.

Source: PIB

 
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