This is an archive article published on February 26, 2025
Gujarat: Working on satellite system to survey losses faced by farmers in natural calamities, says minister
Agriculture minister Raghavji Patel gave this information in the Gujarat Assembly on Tuesday while replying to a question raised by BJP MLA from Porbandar Arjun Modhwadia
The Gujarat government has started the process to create a system through which a survey of losses suffered by farmers following flooding or similar natural calamities could be done through satellite instead of manually.
Agriculture minister Raghavji Patel gave this information in the Gujarat Assembly on Tuesday while replying to a question raised by BJP MLA from Porbandar Arjun Modhwadia over financial assistance given to farmers of Porbandar and Junagadh districts who suffered losses due to flooding caused by excess rain in last one year.
During discussion on the issue during the Question Hour of the Assembly, Modhwadia said that in the event of manual survey of flooding in vast areas through limited human resources, there could be issues of error resulting in discontent among farmers.
He then asked, “For that (to prevent such errors leading to discontent), does the government want to get surveys done digitally or through satellite?”
In his reply, the Agriculture minister said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants digitalisation of this entire process and as part of that, we are putting a system in place.”
Minister Patel then said, “We have started the process to do digital survey through satellite so that there is no need to do individual survey. For that, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel yesterday (Monday) inaugurated a control room at Krushi Bhavan in which the whole system will be functional based on satellite.”
He added that through the system, information like damage to crops, disease in crops, quantum of crops etc. will also be available digitally without getting a survey done by sending individuals in the field.
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A senior official of the Agriculture Department said that the system is being set up and will be fully ready within 6-8 months. It is part of a project called ‘Digital monitoring of agriculture, crop acreage and production estimation for Gujarat using remote-sensing, GIS and other technologies’. It will include getting high-quality satellite images and processing it through Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning model.
The officer further said, “In future, we want to move in the direction of getting details of flooding to the extent of individual revenue survey numbers.”
Another source in the department stated that the system will help get a speedy estimate of losses in the event of flood, drought, pest-infestation etc.
Meanwhile, quoting the agriculture minister, an official release from the state government stated that in the last five years, it has paid over Rs 12,380 crore to more than 99.43 lakh farmers for loss to their crops.
Parimal A Dabhi works with The Indian Express as Chief of Bureau, focusing on the state of Gujarat. Leveraging his seniority and access, Dabhi is recognized for his reporting on the complex interplay of law, politics, social justice, and governance within the region.
Expertise & Authority
Core Authority (Social Justice and Law): Dabhi is a key source for in-depth coverage of caste-based violence, discrimination, and the state's response to social movements, particularly those involving Patidar, Dalit and OBC communities. His reporting focuses on the societal and legal fallout of these issues:
Caste and Discrimination: He has reported extensively on social boycotts and instances of violence against Dalits (such as the attack on a Dalit wedding party in Patan), the community's demands (like refusing to pick carcasses), and the political responses from leaders like Jignesh Mevani.
Judicial and Legal Affairs: He tracks significant, high-stakes legal cases and judgments that set precedents in Gujarat, including the convictions under the stringent Gujarat Animal Preservation Act (cow slaughter), 2002 Gujarat riots and developments in cases involving former police officers facing charges of wrongful confinement and fake encounters.
Political and Administrative Oversight: Dabhi provides essential coverage of the inner workings of the state government and the opposition, ensuring a high degree of Trustworthiness in political analysis:
State Assembly Proceedings: He frequently reports directly from the Gujarat Assembly, covering Question Hour, discussion on various Bills, debates on budgetary demands for departments like Social Justice, and ministerial statements on issues like illegal mining, job quotas for locals, and satellite-based farm loss surveys.
Electoral Politics: His work details key political developments, including election analysis (voter turnout records), party organizational changes (like the end of C R Patil’s tenure as BJP chief), and campaign dynamics. ... Read More
