New Delhi, March 23: Space-based technology is being increasingly used to monitor disasters and support planning in Jammu and Kashmir, the government informed Parliament on Monday. The initiative includes satellite-based monitoring of floods, landslides and forest fires, along with geospatial tools that help authorities assess damage and coordinate response efforts.
According to a written reply in the Rajya Sabha by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Atomic Energy and Space, Jitendra Singh, space inputs are currently being used in Jammu and Kashmir for disaster monitoring and damage assessment during major natural events.
Officials said geospatial products such as flood inundation maps, landslide inventories and forest fire detection data are shared through the geoportals Bhuvan and the National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM). In addition, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed a customized mobile application and dashboard to help the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department report and visualize forest fire incidents using geospatial technology.
The government also highlighted collaboration between ISRO’s Department of Space and the J&K Remote Sensing Application Centre for implementing space-based programmes at the Union Territory level. These include initiatives such as the Natural Resources Census, National Wetland Inventory, biodiversity characterization, desertification and land degradation mapping, as well as disaster management support.
Another programme, Space-Based Information Support for Decentralized Planning (SIS-DP Update), has been jointly implemented to strengthen evidence-based planning in sectors such as agriculture, forestry, rural development and watershed management across Jammu and Kashmir.
In the education and research sector, ISRO has set up the Satish Dhawan Centre for Space Science at the Central University of Jammu. The centre provides faculty members and research students access to ISRO facilities to enhance learning and understanding of space technology.
For the northern region, including Jammu and Kashmir, ISRO has also established the Space Technology Incubation Centre and the Regional Academic Centre for Space. These programmes enable students to work on space technology projects and allow regional colleges and institutions to submit research proposals and collaborate directly with ISRO initiatives.
The government noted that ISRO’s RESPOND (Sponsored Research) programme further expands opportunities by allowing academic institutions across India to participate in space technology research by submitting project proposals.
Meanwhile, space-based data is also being integrated into disaster early warning systems through the National Database for Emergency Management, which operates under the Integrated Control Room for Emergency Response of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The system combines satellite-based inputs with alerts from agencies such as the India Meteorological Department, the Central Water Commission and the Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment to support coordinated emergency response, post-disaster assessments and resource management.
The government said these initiatives are aimed at improving preparedness, response and planning through the effective use of satellite data and geospatial technology in disaster-prone regions like Jammu and Kashmir.
