Honoured Guests, Distinguished Delegates of XXIII
INCA International Congress, Ladies and Gentleman. A short while ago Hon'ble Chief Minister of Uttaranchal
Shri Tiwari Ji inaugurated the proceedings and expressed a hope
that the deliberations would lead to formulation of innovative,
constructive and above all pragmatic solutions for sustainable developement from village level upwards - with
specific contribution of the discipline of Cartography. He expressed the
hope that the needs and hopes of the recently carved state of Uttaranchal will get addressed and that the State
would benefit in expediting development. This precisely is the topic of
my talk "Cartographers: New Challenges and Opportunities".
It, indeed is an honour to be amongst such an enlightened gathering of
multifarious specialists under the canopy of Cartographers of all hues
and from various streams of the profession. This annual get together is a
very useful activity for introspection - exchange of views, ideas, dreams
and visions - for renewal of enthusiasm and for planning for times to
come.
When Maj. Gen. (Dr.) B.C. Roy, President of INCA invited
me to deliver the prestigious Raja Todar Mal
Memorial Lecture for this Congress and left the choice of subject to me,
I was flooded with memories of my experiences with the entire range of
what Cartography in its modern sense stands for and encompasses, within
the overall domain of Surveying and Mapping. Having had closest possible
interaction with all the diverse streams of the discipline and being
intimately involved with infusion of EDM (Electronic Distance Measuring)
Technology, Remote Sensing and Computer Sciences - in the Premier Mapping
Organisation of the country, there is so much
one could say. We are at the threshold of a new era - with breath taking
possibilities. Technological tools at your disposal - with mind boggling
potentialities are there waiting to be innovatively used - creatively.
My association with INCA is also from its very inception
and it is with fondness that I recall the trials and tribulations the
Association had to go through during its infancy. The initial seven to
eight years were crucial and Survey of India had to nurture and nourish
it imaginatively. In that background, I am very happy with its growth and
the place it has made for itself as a professional body not only in the
country but also internationally. The Association has thus to play an
important role in synergising the cartographic
inputs in development of the country.
So, this was the dilemma. What aspect would be topical
and of current interest to a group of enlightened cartographers who are
experts in their own fields and have matured with considerable and
valuable experience - and have done the profession proud.
I came to the conclusion that a little introspection
would be in order - starting with the basic question - what is the role
of a Cartographer? - What is expected of them? Are they not in that
mould, an instrument of change - at the forefront to change, transform
nature, environment - using current scientific techniques and knowledge -
so that people could live and grow in freedom from the tyranny of nature
- pressing into use scientific and technological innovations as
applicable and suited to their discipline in the onward march of civilisation to provide progressively a better life
to them.
Yes, that indeed is the noble task. Whether it is
provision of clean drinking water, water to irrigate the crops,
construction of houses, roads, railways, transmission system, factories
producing myriads of consumer or other industrial goods - communication -
enttertainment system, defence
capability - in short in all that goes for meeting the basic needs, for
meeting the needs of an affluent community. Cartographers - of various specialities have a pioneering role in this
transformation. That is obvious to me. It is also obvious that a
tremendous lot has been done and is being done in the country. Of course
the affluent countries have already stepped into the Post-industrial era
and are trying to grapple with the challenges of the new Information Age,
a new order of affluence, an inescapable consequence of the advances in
Computer Sciences, Space Technology, Communications Technology and
Materials Technology. Developments in the field of Artificial
Intelligence and Robotics have opened up New Vistas-part of earlier
Science fiction and the future is inded
exciting. We are still catching up with industrialisation.
We have one advantage though, in that we can taken
quantum jumps in developing technological solutions because of the
availability of novel technical option - a gift of the new technologies.
You will thus see that the role of a cartographer is no
longer that of an individual artist or mapmaker. He has become a vital
link in a corporate body performing a definite function in achieving
goals in the service of humanity. He has an increasingly important part
to play in the society in achieving socio-economic goals, resources
management and preservation of the environment. The Industrial and
commercial development depends upon what this discipline has to offer. He
has to bring out increasingly an expended diverse spectrum of information
and subtler relationships that what is apparent on hard copy of a map. He
has to be user oriented and friendly and has to make the end products of
his research capable of assimilation by even those in minority who have
intellectual constraints. To sustain the justification of large
investments by way of equipments and technologies, he has to create a
larger user base. Attention has to be paid to marketing his products,
know-how and facilities.
Friends, in the field of Cartography currently automated
Cartography is the buzz word. But despite the popular use of the term
Automated Cartography,there
really has no justification for its usage. Automated Cartography suggests
replacements of man by Machine. Though, it is a fact that many mapping
agencies are automating processes which were being carried out manually,
yet the computer will never replace the man totally, but can only relieve
him of many repetitive tasks ang give him
greater time for creativity. The system in which human interaction in
decision making and application of non-linear ligic
form an integral part can only be called computer assisted or computer
aided. Automation in Cartography should be identified as a particular
process which can be performed automatically and which forms a
cartographic component of the human thinking model. The cartographers decision making process which is so
vital, is more appropriately reflected in the usage of the term Computer
Assisted Cartography.
It is inescapable that most of a modern cartographer's
efforts will have to be diverted to research into user requirements,
creation of new products, efficient management and updating of data
base/banks. The prospect of using computer networking will bring the
ability of a particular specialist with his own dataset to access
ancillary supportive data from other disciplines with ease and rapidity,
as and when he requires it, and in such form as to merge them together
seamlessly, cartographically. Applied cartographic research closely
allied with computer technology should strive for practical achievements
of these goals.
Cartographers should comprehend their discipline "as
a multi-disciplinary information management and communication system
dealing with spatial data relating to a fast changing object space. It is
the synthesis of various technologies covering the operation of
acquisition, processing, structring, storage,
retrieval in digital/graphic form and analysis of dta
and resentation of processed data products in
communicable form relevant to the socio-economic and cultural needs of
the time".
The theme of the congress is "Cartography for
Sustainable Development from village level upwards". A very commendable
theme infact. We have seen what all Crtography at its present stage, should bring under
its focus. So now about development. Man's material,happiness and well being depends upon his
understanding of the environment in which he lives and his skill in
making use of the resources available to him. Historical processes have
created an imbalance and given rise to marked differences in the material
development of not only nations but of regions within the same nation.
A new awareness of need for development with social
justice and for a far more equitable distribution of the fruits of
technological revolution is a special feature of the last few decades,
post Second World War era particularly with the demise of colonial
empires and subseqauently decline of
dictatorial political system.
What role has cartography in the economic development of
a region? A question which professional crtographers
must address themselves to. They have to be active participants in the
process of planning for development. Planning deals with physical, social
and economic data in a 3 Dimensional space with time variant analysis and
projection - and who can handle this better than a cartographyer
- to portray the correct picture.
That a number of resources which are essential for the
present stage of technological civilisation are
non-renewable and limited in their availability is a disburbing
fact but alas all too true. In this context, it is well worth noting that
the world is heading for an acute shortage of resources currently in
use-a fact which has been highlighted in a dramatic form by the
catastrophic predictions of the Club of Rome that if the present
resources consumption and environmental pollution continues even at the
present rate, the world would reach a critical stage by the year 2050. It
may not exactly beso, but all the same, the
fact of ever increasing pressure on land and other resources due to
continued expected growth of population, increased consumption due to
expected improvements in earning capacity and consequential urbanisation and changes in the pattern of land use
cannot be ignored.
It all highlights the urgent need for (a) renewed efforts
to lacate and evaluate resources
systematically, (b) developing technology so that needs are mostly met by
use of renewable resources and by alternate resources of which there is
as yet abundance, (c) conservation of available resources as much as
possible to ensure that long term interests of the nation are protected.
We should not exhaust our resources by simply continuing to remain
suppliers of raw material.
Now, before resources can bemade
use of tey must be located and evaluated. In
this field considerable progress has been made and there is ample scope
for scientific investigations and planning. A systematic inventory of
natural resoures should be undertaken as a very
first step towards planned developemnt. In the
sphere of location and evaluation of natural resources the critical and
scientific role of Geodetic and Topographic surveys is often lost sight
of till a fairly late stage resulting in plans being delayed or else
plans being prepared on inadequate data. In both the cases the loss to
the community is considerable. Developments in the field of surveying and
mapping have made it possible to speed up the process of making reliable
inventory of the regions topographical and infra-structural resources so
very essential for sound and scientific developmental planning.
The data could be built up so that :-
(a) best practical use
is made of available technology (may not be latest but should be
relevant)
(b) adequate data is
available soon after the planning starts to take up urgent projects and
to
initiate investigations for detailed study in diverse field in limited
areas.
(c) data
collected in a subsequent phase supplements the data or improves the data
collected
in an earlier phase so that plans based on earlier data could be suitably
updated.
(b) best
use is made of data available with various existing organisations.
Considerable tact
and
Co-ordination is required toeven partly fulfill
this aim.
In this scenario, the regional planner in India is
concerned with a wide variety of Geographical landscapes and even richer
variety of socio-economic systems. Over a period spread over many decades
the country has been mapped on uniform scale with maps on the metric
scale of 1:50,000. The entire country-about 329 million hectares has been
surveyed. This is a signal achievement of which the Cartographic
community can be legitimately proud of.
The standard Survey of India maps are in themselves a
valuable database readily available to every discipline and level of
planner. After conceiving the regional plans on these maps and using
these maps as essential ancillary document to the project reports the
next phase for development calls for larger scale maps for execution.
Towards that end, in addition to nromal
1:50,000 scale topographic mapping. Survey of India has been carrying out
surveys for various national projects. It was a task requiring utmost
ingenuity and use of latest technology, against constant pressure for
completion of the various requests, at the earliest. The need for
systematic larger scale surveys say on scale 1:25,000 or in some cases
even on 1:10,000 or 1:15,000 to serve as base maps requires to be
seriously debated and catered for.
The cartographer must organise
forums to discuss and process the imperative need for advance planning to
the region planning authorities and to make the users of their
knowledgeable so that scarce survey resources are used the most
economical and judicious way. Modern technic of
surveying and mapping and suitable interaction with us could enable the
users to accept many types of expedients based on aerial photographs, Rs Imagery and available map coverage so that
planning for development not await completion of detailed time consuming
surveys may be undertaken simultaneously along with initiation execution
of mapping projecrts to save time.
The tremendous pay off of advance planning and used
suitable map expedients cargographic products
can only surmised from the fact that millions of rupees have to invested
in developmental activities and if these projects speeded up because of
timely availability of suitable ground data, the return (at the rate of evwen 1/2% per month) on the total investmetn may come to about 5 million rupees for a
project costing only 100 crores, provided it
gets completed just one month ahead because of timely availability of
suitable Cartographic products.
The technology of map making has undergone a sea changing
from earlier times. Advancements in satellite geodesy, Geo
potentialities, and Satellite surveillance remote sensing and computer
Sciences have revolutionised the process of map
making. The use of latest technology by cartographic agencies and by
proper planning we should be able to contribute speeding up the process
of development and planning prosperity.
Proper linkages between Survey Organisations
and State Planning departments to establish a Central Co-ordination
Agency (CCA) to co-ordinate the mapping requirements on the user
departments of the State and for a continuous dialogue between the Survey
organisation and the various users to ensure
optimum user of scarce Cargographic resources.
In fact, to develop better liaison and to create increased awareness and
understanding amongst map users of data generated by surveyors, they
should hold seminars in different regions of the country under the
agencies of planning departments. Requirement of surveying and mapping
for developmental activities are enormous and the problem faced is how
this can be met with limited resources. Maps are required for
environmental monitoring and planning command Area Development, Canal
Area Surveys, Survey for adopting better farming techniques and for many
other engineering projects. Hence, there is need to save every effort of
surveying and mapping by making optimum utilisation
of available resources. By collating and integrating demands of
developmental projects in mapping organisations
on long range basis and by adopting a Systems Approach, aceepting data and expedients as and when required in
each project most of the demands can be met within the time schedule.
Thematic atalses, topographic
maps with thematic overlays of natural resources e.g. geology and miniral resources, forest cover, soil types,
hydrology and land use; city maps with overlays for various utilities;
Natural Geographic Information System are some of the areas in which
Cartographers have a very important esponsibility
to discharge. Conventional paper based atlases must make rook for
e-Atlases-Planned, formatted, generated with inbuilt provision for
continuous updating and incorporating information from diverse sources of
varying scale, precision and fidelity.
With the adoption of digital recording of dta (as opposed to graphic depiction as in a line
map) and in roads of computer technology in data processing the
cartographer faces new challenges and has hitherto unheard of
opportunities. He must get away from his traditional role of dignified
draftsman (merely a back room operator) and enter into the domain of one
who also analyses data and interprets data for planning and is in a
position to assume leadership roles in multi disciplinary task
forces/groups.
Thus the Cartographer must see an enlarged role for
himself. Remote Sensing as a source of first generation data - computer
applications for handling and analysing vast
amount of data -automation to speed up drafting and integrating processes
- have opened up new vistas which cartographers, can only ignore at their
peril.
At this stage, some comments about land management would
be appropriate - particularly in this Todar Mal
Memorial Lecture as his contribution was for introducing systematic
revenue assessment and Land Tax collection. The system is prevailing even
now in that form in its basic structure. Cadastral Surveys - the backbone
of Revenue System are in need of modernization.
There is no standard formula to solve the problem of land
management. The solution must be designed to suit the ground realities,
Social, cultural and administrative environments. There is, however, no
gain saying the fact that we have to standardise
the products and modernise techniques if we
have to even beign to come to grips with
problems of social equity and jsutice,
particularly of the economically weaker sections of Rural India.
Photogrammetric techniques, GPS
Technology and computerisation must be adopted
in order to complete systematically country wide cdstral
surveys and creation of LIS (Land Information System) along with better
land management practices. In the total scheme - land revenue has lost
its primacy hence a modern computerised
cadastre operated with transparency would be instrumental in ensuring
social justice and empowering the owner to use alnd
as an enonomic asset. In our situation,
application of advanced technology must be considered very carefully. In
the initial stage it should be applied where it can overcome serious
bottlenecks. Sudden and total computerisation
may not be the ideal method. sub processes may
be converted one by one as advantages become clear. This may lead to a
better strategy in the foreseeable future. Social justice should be our
main focus.
In this connection, I would like to mention a very
promising development. The very successful completion of the project
BOOOMI of Karnataka Government. The project involved computerisation
of land records as a part of a system that was tamper proof - transparent
and fair to all - I mean the owners of alnd are
usually in the absence of computerised records
and non-transparent and discreationary system
leading to corruption subject to wide spread harassment. Now two Crore records of RTC (Record os
Right to Tenancy and Cultivation) have been computerised.
All Taluk haedquarters
have Bhoomi kiosks where farmers can walk in,
check the details of Survey Number and get print out for Rs. 15/- all in a matter of few minutes Mutation can
also be got carried out - of course after due verification - but within a
stupulated time frame. It has been acclaimed a
great success. Such initiatives have to be multiplied. The technology is
there. A vision and determination is required.
In conclusion - friends, we have a lot of stake. We are
one of the oldest surviving cuvilisations. We
have learnt to live and adjust with changing times and circumstances. Now
our greatest asset - a vast and growing population (out of every 6
persons in the world, 1 is an Indian) has to be organised
and educated to make peace with nature along with planning for happiness
and prosperity. We have to resrrect from the
past our reverence and respect for nature. We are part of it. To quote
from one of our scriptures:
That which exists is one, sages call
it by various names. This has been our philosophy. The one-ness and
indivisibility of all-living and non-living. This we have to understand
and imbibe from childhood. formal and informal education, religious
instructions, parental guidance must aim to inculcate in the child the
spirit of respect and reverence to the living and non-living the concept
of a holistic hypothesis of life where human being should fashion his
life in sympathy with nature and not in violence.
It is fortunate that at National Level there is full
understanding of the issues of management of environment. It would be
desirable if these issues and concepts of eco-development are
incorporated in training programme of all
Scientific/Technical and Non-technical academic institutions, training
institutes, so that academicians, pnanners,
engineers, administrators, in fact all those who are associated in the
management of the country may contribute appropriately in their own
sphere. They would be able to contribute towards development and progress
consistent with conservation and improvement of the environment. This is
technically teasible. The development project
should not be evaluated in terms of only on economic Cost/Benefit ratio;
over a short period 5 to 10 years - a view whihc
enonomists and planners some time take. Cost
benefit analysis, of development projects, which should be subsets of an integrted plan for regional development, must take
into account the social costs of not ensuring meaningful and just
rehabilitation in terms of consequential agitations, law and order
problems, group alienation and injured feelings of being exploited
particularly of the economically weaker sections. benefit should not only
be in terms of return - so much % on return - but should take into account
total good to the community including intangibles like happiness, meeting
aspirations of effected people vis-a-vis the
beneficiaries.
This then is a view point for a new role for Cartogrphers to participate and contribute in this
noble adventure of development. It is not insular technology but
integrative technology and human and natural resources - in the cfrucible of environment in its
entirely that must be aimed at.
That is the challenge and opportunity. For Cartographers
it should be a novel and exciting experience.
And this has been our heritage. A quote from
ISHO-UPANISHAD would support this thinking: "the whole universe
together with its creatures belongs to the Lord (Nature). Implicit in
this thought is that no creature is superior to any other and human being
should not have absolute power over nature. Let no one species encroach
over the rights and privileges of other species. One can
enoy bounties of nature by giving up
greed".
Humanity must prepare to judiciously manage the planet by
finding out a way to foresee what effect human activity has on the
earth's environment and to anticipate how modifications in that activity
would forestall dangerious results. This would
have to be donw before it is too late to repair
the environmental damage. While, for the environmentalists, it is the
ultimate issue, for the earth scientists, engineers, geographers and
cartographers it is the biggest professional challenge they have faced.
It is in this context that - we must not strive to be
technological Titans and moral Robots, that
would not make an ideal man - it would also not lead to an ideal culture.
We must realise that on a plundered planet,
this forlorn hope of a united being, of a holistic hypothesis, may be our
last chance.
We have talked about environment and importance of taking
a hlistic view of a regions development. This
concept has got wide acceptance because of developments in the fields.
Space Technology and Remote Sensing and slow emergenious
of a global mind set.
For the first time in history, capabilities now exist, to
observe the entire earth from the outer reached of its atmosphere thus
getting a synoptic view the like of which could have been a artists dream only. Monitoring the health of planet
earth requirs extensive study of the oceans,
atmosphere and the land involves extensive surveys and data gathering on
land. Remote Sensing has become an important and indispensable part of
this effort. With the sensors that are available and soon would be
available, we now have the technology which would enable us to study
regional problems in a global setting.
Ladies and Gentlemen - A cartogrpher
is an embodiment creativity. His ability to
quickly learn and comprehend when tempered with a commitment to the cause
and sensitivity of the needs of the society will bring out the best in
him. He must be fired by an urge to constantly renew his knowledge and
rejuvenate his professionalism with the latest development within and in
areas which have a reasonable chance influencing his sphere of activity e.g.
DVD technology photogrphy. It has immense
possibilities in Cartography.
Finally, I would like to share a viewpoint. I quote -
"If I were look over the whole world to find out the country most ricly endowed with all the wealth, power and beauty
that nature can bestow - in some parts a very paradise on earth - I
should point to India. If I ware asked under what sky the human mind has
most fully developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered
on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions to some of them
which will deserve the attention even of those who have studied Plato and
Kant, should point to India. And if I ware to ask from what literature we
here in Europe, we who have been nautured
almost exclusively on the thoughts of Greeks and Romans and of one semitic race - the Jewish, may draw that corrective
which is most wanted in order to make our life more perfect, more
comprehensive, more universal, in fact more truly human, a life not for
this life only, but a transfigured and eternal life again I should point
to India". This is a rare tribute indeed and that, too, by a Western
- a great thinker - Max Muller.
My purpose in quoting this is to bring out our heritage.
Somewhere we were left behind. We have the genius to forge ahead. Out
human resources are vast and of a higher order. We canbmake
up. It is worth a try. We need to have a vision. Let us make use of the
opportunity.
This then, Ladies and Gentleman - is the Romance of
Cartography.
Thank you for your attention.
