Technology
Restrictions on Digital Map Data for Whom?
R. Jagadiswara Rao
Former Professor, Department of Geology
Sri Venkateswara University, Andhara Pradesh
rjr@vsnl.com
The Ministry of Defence may impose restrictions in the use of such maps in India, but can it stop other countries from buying imageries of India?
India is almost the only country in the world which has put enormous restrictions in the usage of topographic maps and aerial photographs ever since its war with China. Procedure to procure aerial photographs and coastal topographic maps has been made so difficult that most people particularly teachers, researchers and students requiring them forgot that there were such maps at all. In order to teach aerial photography and coastal geomorphology, the readily-available coastal maps and aerial photographs of other countries had to be used.
Through a World Bank assisted project, the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) supplied aerial photographs to several corporations and municipalities in India. Because of the restrictions of the Ministry of Defence (MOD), these photographs in the custody of the town planning officers could never be put into use, except for sending at the end of every year a safe custody report to the concerned authorities. Despite these restrictions, foreign companies had to be allowed to take aerial photographs of potential mineral-bearing areas for the purpose of mineral exploration.With the initial availability of satellite imageries without restrictions, there was a sigh of relief that these imageries could at least be used without any restriction. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) soon found a method of introducing restrictions even in the use of output obtained from coastal satellite imageries on the basis that their preparation involved the use of restricted topographic maps. The MOD in its memorandum dated 13th July 1998, has introduced severe restrictions in the use of information obtained through digitisation of map data and showing digital data in the Internet even in the case of unrestricted areas.
Because of the initiative of the high-tech Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has used a Geographic Information System (GIS) to prepare about a year ago nine-metre resolution maps covering almost the entire state, giving the exact location of features which help in the planning and execution of rescue and relief operations during disasters such as floods and cyclones. But these maps could not be put to use so far for want of a certificate from the MOD that their usage does not lead to leakage of information on sensitive installations vital for the security of the country. After all the security of the country is more important than the possible help these maps would render to the disaster victims!
The Government of Andhra Pradesh has now taken up two works involving digitisation of high resolution maps under the World Bank assisted Hazard Mitigation and Emergency Cyclone Recovery Project. One is the “Delta and watershed managements including development of flood forecasting model and spatial flood warning” entrusted to Babtie International, a UK-based consulting firm, while the other is the “Rainfall, wind and storm surge modelling, cyclone tracking including coastal zone management” entrusted to WLI Delft Hydraulics, a Netherlands-based consulting firm. All these works could be entrusted to foreign firms, as the MOD does not think that the country’s security would be hampered by involving foreign experts in the digitisation work, but only finds it necessary to impose restrictions for the government departments to make use of the output of digitisation work.As there is no clearance from the MOD, the official website www.andhrapradesh.com of Andhra Pradesh, had to keep the highly informative GIS available with it in cold storage and be content showing the sketchy maps of Andhra Pradesh prepared by the website www.mapsofindia.com.
Why should India alone follow these policies in the name of security when the entire world including Russia, does not impose such restrictions? When a person of the stature of the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh has to accept delays and bow down to the policies of the MOD, who else can remove these restrictions? Remote sensing has developed so much that from high resolution maps one can recognise objects as small as one metre on the earth, could be purchased from companies such as the Colorado-based “Space Imaging” at an affordable price. The MOD may impose restrictions in the use of such maps in India, but can it stop other countries from buying imageries of India? The MOD may prohibit government departments and companies in India from showing accurate digitised maps in the Internet, but can it stop MSN Encarta from showing large scale digitised maps of India of high accuracy in the Internet?