: The State government proposes to use LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology in preparation of high resolution maps for use in various engineering works and projects that the State is planning.
“Use of Lidar technology is quite beneficial and it gives quality data in digital form in a short time. This data can be used in many projects related to roads, canals, surface transport, city planning, land slides, irrigation etc,.” Swarna Subba Rao, Surveyor General of India told The Hindu .
Mr. Subba Rao met Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu recently to apprise him of the advantages of this technology. He said Mr. Naidu appreciated the initiative of the Survey of India (SoI) and asked the SoI to carry out several mapping exercise for the State. Earlier, Mr. Subba Rao met the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) Commissioner N. Srikanth and had discussed mapping pertaining to the CRDA area. This was followed by visit of an expert team from SoI, Hyderabad, which is now on the job of solving technical problems in mapping and preparation of the master plan.
LiDAR is highly accurate scientific surface/topographic data with active sensing system and it uses its own energy source, not reflecting naturally or naturally emitted radiation. This mode allows direct acquisition of terrain information.
“It is not photography or a substitute for photography. The technique cannot ‘see through’ trees. If sunlight can reach a spot on the ground so can the laser; if sunlight can’t reach the ground due to various vegetation, then neither can the laser,” Mr. Subba Rao clarifies. This system can be brought to use for engineering designs, conservation planning, floodplain mapping, surface feature extraction (trees, shrubs, roads and buildings) and vegetation mapping (height and density). Mr. Subba Rao says the technology is being brought into use for organising high-security event in stadiums, campuses and other spaces.
“It is not photography or a substitute for photography. The technique cannot “see through’ trees”
