BENGALURU: With events and workshops under way across the nation to celebrate the first National Space Day to commemorate the soft landing of Chandrayaan-3’s lander and rover on the Moon, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) hosted a workshop on the interdisciplinary use of space technologies to better manage water resources on Monday.
The event was organised in collaboration with Karnataka’s Water Resources Department, National Hydrology Project (NHP), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and other government research bodies.
During his address, M Shankaran, Director, UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), said the recent journey of India in the space sector has proved that the country is second to none. “While we give the necessary tools and applications to the country, we also want to bestow confidence in the youth. The NISAR mission is scheduled to be launched soon, with an investment of USD 2 billion dollars, which shows India’s growing prowess,” he said.
In a message, DK Shivakumar, DyCM and Water Resources Minister, said, “Space technology has become a pivotal tool in managing and optimising water resources. Satellites have revolutionised the water resources sector by providing accurate, real-time data essential for effective water management.”
He added that the NHP is a significant initiative to improve the country’s water resource management through advanced technologies. “This access to data in real-time and the creation of centralised date centres under NHP, for both surface water and groundwater, along with remote sensing, have enabled water resource managers to manage and monitor floods and droughts in real-time and better crop water management in these times of climate change,” he said.