AP govt8217;s move to use IKONOS services ruffles feathers

NRSA director D P Rao says the state government did not contact the agency before opting for IKONOS and he could not speak about the government8217;s intentions in engaging the services of the American satellite.

According to him, aerial photographs were more superior in terms of both clarity and accuracy compared to satellite images. The clarity would be such that even manhole covers and drainage pipes could be demarcated.

Andhra Pradesh planning secretary A K Parida, who mooted the idea of hiring the satellite8217;s services, doesn8217;t agree with the NRSA director8217;s opinion. Getting the job done by other agencies is time-taking, he said and added that the state government had long ago requested NRSA to conduct aerial survey on open spaces in the twin cities for taking up urban forestry projects. quot;But,8221; he said, 8220;the data has not been provided so farquot;.

quot;The time-bound developmental programmes launched by the government cannot wait till the NRSA supplies the aerial photographs and this is what has prompted the government to go in for the services of IKONOS,quot; he explained.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Parida said that the government had opted for the services of Space Imaging Co, manufacturers of IKONOS, since the NRSA was not equipped with the technology that gives images of 1 m resolution. The government had requested the Space Imaging Co for one-time mapping of metropolitan areas, which would cost about Rs 1 crore.

Enquiries reveal that IKONOS charges as much as 36 US dollars for imaging each sq km area. On the other hand, aerial photography would cost only Rs 1,600 per every 5.29 sq km.

quot;We are aware that the services of foreign satellites are expensive. Therefore, we had opted for mapping only of Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati. Since mapping of entire state by IKONOS would cost about Rs 60 crore, we decided to wait till NRSA acquires the capacity to supply 1 m resolution pictures,quot; Parida averred.

He said that the data obtained from IKONOS would be processed and supplied to the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad MCH and other civic departments, enabling the authorities to compare it with their own record and reach a conclusion on tax compliance, apart from violation of various civic laws.

quot;This is a business proposition. First engage the services of the satellite and then purchase expensive equipment for analysing the images. This will only benefit the satellite authorities. The American satellite8217;s services will almost have a monopoly, with the Andhra Pradesh government depending on it for 1 m resolution imagery, a facility that is not available in the country at present,quot; a senior manager in NRSA remarked.

Moreover, analysing the pictures sent by IKONOS needs specific instruments which are expensive and not easily available, he added.

Parida, however, claimed that the government explored various options before deciding on IKONOS. quot;Only after being informed that it would take more than a year for NRSA to acquire the 1 m resolution capability, we opted for IKONOS,quot; he said, adding that the government already possessed the requisite infrastructure to deal with the IKONOS images.