NSDI in India: The reality behind the dream

“NDC is ready with image data”

says R Joseph Arokiadas, Group
Head, NRSA Data Centre while
sharing his perspectives about NSDI

What role you see of NRSA in NSDI?

We have developed a image portal and we hope that will be very useful to the user community. In fact, we have categorizing our data in three categories, Data of 56 m resolution are categorized in coarse data. Medium data with resolution of 23 m and in high-resolution category we have data of better resolution than 5 m. Data up to 5 m resolution are available to all.

How to access these data?

We are planning to make data available on the web. Once that happens then users form government and non-government both can get the bene?t from it. We are also planning to make cartosat 2 data available off the shelf.

Your perception about NSDI?

The idea to make data available for developmental purpose in itself is very good. The positive thing is that all the leading organisations including Department of Space, Department of Science and Technology and National Informatics Centre are working together very closely and in a positive direction. As far as NRSA Data Centre, NRSA is concerned we are ready with image data.

There is a perception that to get high resolution data from NRSA is a tedious process. Comment.

We follow Remote Sensing Data Policy. An open sky policy is followed for data of poor resolution than 10 m. However, we mask certain areas of security concerns if images are of better resolution than this. In case it is of 1 metre or better resolution than 1 metre, then such requests need to get approved by a committee.

What relevance you see of such policies in view of images available with google earth given the concerens expressed by President of India himself?

We are also concerned.

“There has been a sea change in attitude of spatial data users and provider”

says Brig M V Bhat, Deputy Surveyor
General, Survey of India while
sharing the recent developments
in NSDI with Coordinates

What are the initiatives to ensure availability of spatial data?

Several initiatives have been taken by the Government of India to ensure availability of reliable and accurate Spatial Data to users. Prominent amongst them being the NSDI initiative and the National Map Policy of Government of India. National Spatial Data Infrastructure initiative of Department of Science and Technology and Survey of India provide a platform for interaction between data providing agencies and users. The primary objective of NSDI is to act as a gateway between the information generating agencies and users. The right to information act passed by the Parliament (Govt. of India) is a constructive and positive step.

What is so great in National Map Policy?

The NMP envisages unshackling of many of the extant restrictions as regards to availability of and access to Survey of India maps. A new generation of maps based on the WGS-84 system called the “Open Series Maps (OSMs)” will be put in the public domain. This is expected to open up unprecedented opportunities in business, involving maps. All players will be able to access accurate and updated spatial data for use or subsequent value addition.

National Map Policy was announced some time in May? It was to be followed by guidelines from Survey of India?

Guidelines have already been framed and would soon be in public domain.

Has the life of map users changed since the map policy was announced?

Although data are yet to be provided as per the new map policy, it has surely impacted a sea change in the attitude of spatial data users and data providers. This is evident from the fact that the number of major data users, both in government sector and other public users, has increased considerably.

Is NSDI in India lost somewhere? We have not heard anything about this since long.

I would like to inform you that NSDI is very much on the agenda of the Government. Only the publicity has not been there. The NSDI bill has been accepted by the Committee of Secretaries. It is a major step forward and very soon it is hoped to be a reality.

NSDI is for whom? Is it meant for the government or for other data users also?

NSDI is a gateway of information from information providers to various stakeholders which include government agencies, private sector, industry, academia and common man.