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LiDAR survey on Godavari basin projects to begin today

By: B. Chandrashekhar

The Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) survey proposed by the Government of Telangana for re-designing of several ongoing and new irrigation projects in the Godavari basin in the State would begin on Wednesday, provided the weather conditions are favourable.

Highly placed official sources told on Tuesday that Telangana would be the first State in the country to avail the modern technology for designing irrigation projects. The aerial survey be conducted through a helicopter is likely to continue for 8 to 15 days.

Officials stated that LiDAR is a remote sensing technology that measures distance by illuminating a target with a laserand analysing the reflected light. The sophisticated technology is mostly used to make high-resolution maps with applications in archaeology, geography, geomorphology, seismology, forestry, remote sensing,atmospheric physics, air-borne laser swath mapping, laser altimetry and contour mapping. The State Government has already secured permissions from the Union Ministries of Home, Defence and Civil Aviation for conducting the survey with the help of a private agency. The Defence Ministry authorities have checked the LiDAR equipment and sealed it before it was mounted into the helicopter.

“The equipment would be handed over to the Defence Ministry once the survey is completed and recorded information would be its property. Only the information required by the State Government would be given to it through the Home Ministry”, the sources said explaining the process.

When contacted, Chief Engineer of Pranahitha-Chevella lift irrigation project Hari Ram Bhookya stated that the survey would be taken up from Dummugudem to Kaleshwaram, Medigadda to Yellampally reservoir and Mid Manair to Basvapur reservoir. The designated helicopter reached Tirupati on Tuesday evening as the air traffic control (ATC) authorities did not give clearance for its direct flight to Hyderabad. It would reach Hyderabad on Wednesday morning and then to Ramagundam by 11 am before embarking upon the arduous exercise, the official sources said. “Information collected from the survey would be helpful in making optimum utilisation of our share in Godavari waters by planning projects, barrages and canals in scientific manner”, Advisor (Irrigation) to the State Government R. Vidyasagar Rao stated.

A similar survey, conducted from the ground, was already in progress in case of the Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation project, the sources said adding that equipment in it was mounted on a truck.

Source: The Hindu

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