Srinagar, Aug 06: Twelve operational communication satellites currently provide communication capacity for telecom and broadband services in Jammu and Kashmir, while the government has outlined a range of ISRO-supported space technology applications being used for disaster management, water resources, environmental monitoring, urban planning and agriculture in the Union Territory.
The information was shared in response to an unstarred question by MP Ghulam Ali on ISRO-supported space technology applications in Jammu and Kashmir. Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Dr Jitendra Singh replied on behalf of the Prime Minister.
According to the government, the capacity of the 12 operational communication satellites is being offered to various service providers to enhance telecommunication and broadband connectivity in the Union Territory.
Among the projects, the Space Based Information Support for Decentralised Planning-Update (SISDP-U), implemented through the Directorate of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing (DEERS), Jammu and Kashmir, received the highest allocation, with Rs 2.20 crore sanctioned, released and fully utilised.
The government said several ongoing and completed programmes are being implemented in the areas of disaster management, agriculture, water resources, urban planning and environmental monitoring. These include the Satellite Integrated Landslide Assessment and Alert System (SILAAS), which maps landslides using satellite data and generates village-wise landslide alerts, and landslide inventory mapping carried out across all districts of Jammu and Kashmir during the 2023 monsoon season.
Under the National Hydrology Project, an inventory of glacial lakes was prepared for Jammu and Kashmir, while Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) hazard and risk maps were generated for Mundiksar Lake in the Indus River basin. Watershed monitoring under the Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) and the Watershed Development Component-Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY) 2.0 was carried out across all 20 districts using geospatial technologies.
Other projects include the Urban Waterbody Information System (UWaIS) under AMRUT 2.0, which mapped waterbodies in Anantnag, Jammu and Srinagar; the Geo-MGNREGA Project (Phase II) for planning and monitoring MGNREGA activities across all 20 districts; the National Wetland Inventory and Assessment project, implemented with the University of Jammu; the Desertification and Land Degradation: Monitoring, Vulnerability Assessment and Combating Plan project, carried out with the University of Kashmir, Srinagar; and the Long Term Ecological Research Stations (LTERS) project covering the north-west Himalaya, including Jammu and Kashmir.
The government said satellite-based annual Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) assessments have been carried out for 2021-22 to 2024-25 at a scale of 1:2,50,000, alongside a five-yearly assessment at a scale of 1:50,000 for 2020-21.
Capacity building and future plans
The government said ISRO is working on experimental landslide forecasting across all districts of Jammu and Kashmir under the SILAAS project. It also conducts periodic workshops and training programmes for state and central disaster management organisations, including training on the National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM), with participation from Jammu and Kashmir.
The government said the Satish Dhawan Centre for Space Science (SDCSS) at the Central University of Jammu provides faculty members and research scholars access to ISRO facilities. Satellite connectivity is also being used for tele-education under the PM e-Vidya programme, while telemedicine nodes have been installed across Jammu and Kashmir. In 2024, the GSAT-N2 High Throughput Satellite (HTS) was added to enhance broadband connectivity in the Union Territory.
