New Delhi, Aug 6: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is mapping landslide-prone areas using satellite imagery and developing village-level landslide alerts aimed at improving preparedness in vulnerable regions, the Centre told the Parliament on Thursday.
Among the flagship initiatives is the Satellite Integrated Landslide Assessment and Alert System (SILAAS), under which ISRO is mapping landslide-prone areas using satellite imagery and developing village-level landslide alerts aimed at improving preparedness in vulnerable regions, Minister of State for Space Jitendra Singh said in a written reply in the RajyaSabha.
The agency has already completed a comprehensive landslide inventory covering all districts of Jammu and Kashmir following the 2023 monsoon season.
The Centre also highlighted efforts to strengthen flood-risk assessment in the Himalayan region.
Under the National Hydrology Project, ISRO has prepared an inventory of glacial lakes in Jammu and Kashmir and generated Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) hazard and risk maps for Mundiksar Lake in the Indus basin, where concerns over climate-induced glacial instability have grown in recent years.
Satellite-based monitoring has also been extended to watershed development programmes across all districts of J&K under the Integrated Watershed Management Programme and the Watershed Development Component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sanchayee Yojana.
According to the government, geospatial technologies are being used to monitor implementation, evaluate outcomes and improve planning for water conservation and land management projects.
In urban areas, ISRO has mapped water bodies in Srinagar, Jammu, and Anantnag under the Urban Waterbody Information System (UWaIS) project, while the Geo-MGNREGA Phase II programme is supporting planning and monitoring of rural employment works through satellite-based mapping.
The government said several environment-focused projects are also underway.
These include a National Wetland Inventory prepared with the University of Jammu, a Desertification and Land Degradation project undertaken with the University of Kashmir, and a Long Term Ecological Research Stations programme covering the North-West Himalaya to study climate change and ecosystem responses.
In addition, the Space Based Information Support for Decentralised Planning (SISDP-U) project has generated detailed thematic datasets on land use, settlements, infrastructure, and drainage for every district in J&K using high-resolution satellite imagery.
ISRO has also completed annual land-use and land-cover assessments while continuing longer-term mapping exercises designed to assist planners and policymakers.
The Centre also disclosed financial allocations for several ongoing projects in J&K.
These include funding for land-use mapping, landslide assessment, watershed monitoring, wetland inventory and environmental conservation initiatives being implemented through the Directorate of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing, the University of Jammu, and the University of Kashmir.
According to the government, much of the sanctioned funding has already been released and fully utilised.
Beyond mapping and monitoring, ISRO is conducting experimental landslide forecasting under the SILAAS programme and regularly organises training programmes for disaster management agencies, including participants from J&K, through the National Database for Emergency Management initiative.
The government said efforts are also underway to strengthen research and public services through space technology.
The government has significantly expanded the use of satellite-based technologies across Jammu and Kashmir over the past five years, with applications now extending from disaster management and environmental monitoring to agriculture, urban planning and digital connectivity,
The Department of Space (DoS) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have rolled out a series of geospatial and satellite-enabled programmes across J&K as part of a broader strategy to strengthen disaster resilience, improve natural resource management and enhance governance through space technology.
The government said 12 operational communication satellites are currently providing coverage over J&K, with satellite capacity being made available to service providers to improve telecommunications and broadband connectivity, particularly in remote and mountainous areas where conventional infrastructure remains difficult to establish.
ISRO has established the SatishDhawan Centre for Space Science at the Central University of Jammu, while satellite platforms are supporting tele-education under the PM e-Vidyaprogramme and telemedicine services across J&K.
Last year, the launch of the High Throughput Satellite GSAT-N2 further enhanced broadband capacity, including coverage in the J&K.
