Goa to seek ISRO help to map mangroves
PTI, PANAJI | 15 April 2011 18:30 IST
Goa government will take the help of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to map its sand dunes and mangroves as part of the crucial 2011 CRZ rules.
State Environment Minister Aleixo Sequira said the state will initiate talks with ISRO seeking their expertise for this project. Goa, which has a 105-km long beach stretch, is fort up by several sand dunes.
The tiny state also has a rich vegetation of Mangroves, which are protected at several places by the forest department and local administration.
Sequiera said the mapping would be done as a part of Coastal Regulation Zone 2011 notification, which has given abundant protection to these ecological landmarks.
Sources stated that ISRO's help is being sought as the exercise involves use of satellites to take pictures, which would be super imposed on each other to get the final map.
Micheal D'Souza, Director Science, Technology and Environment said each and every sand dune and mangrove would be mapped.
"We are using remote sensing technology for the same. Multiple satellite images would be shot which will give minute details of the sand dunes, their location, and even their height and diameter," he said.
A similar exercise will also be taken for Mangroves, which are found on the state's saline lands and river bodies.
Even before the recent CRZ notification (drafted by Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) giving special status to Goa) the state mapped villages along the coastline.
D'Souza said the hazard lines and high tide lines have also ben identified by the state.
The state is also maintaining detailed mapping of khazan lands, which are low lying coastal saline lands reclaimed from Mangroves.
