(a) whether any direction was issued by the Government to formulate a plan to use
satellite to accurately predict calamities like landslides and heavy rainfall;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has any plan to link National Disaster Management Authority
with National Remote Sensing Centre for providing meteorological information obtained
through satellite from time to time;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES
(SHRI S. JAIPAL REDDY)
(a) No Madam.
(b) Does not arise.
(c) No Madam. However, National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) is connected to Ministry of Home
Affairs, New Delhi and National Disaster Management Authority by a Virtual Private Network
(VPN) for transferring images and information of the areas affected by a disaster.
(d) Does not arise.
(e) NRSC does not receive any meteorological information through satellite. The data from
meteorological satellites are directly received by the India Meteorological Department (IMD)
and all possible meteorological data is generated in real time. The data available from other
polar satellites such as Oceansat-2 that generates marine surface meteorological information
apart from ocean state observations is made available from NRSC’s website in near real time.