Rukkappa Meesi from Srinivas Saradagi in Kalaburagi taluk, who has completed PUC, is helping the farming community in his village and earning a decent sum over the past few days, thanks to a technology-based crop survey currently under way.
He is one of the many young people helping the Agriculture Department capture data on total area under cultivation with crop-wise details in a particular season using Karnataka Farmer’s Crop Survey App, an android-based application. The data is expected to help the government in many ways — from preparing for market interventions through price support schemes during crisis and better management of crop insurance to planning of imports and exports.
The survey has also provided employment opportunities.
“I am able to make some additional income in a short period. I have completed 400 survey numbers in three days and earned ₹4,000 at ₹10 a plot. We, four youths, have finished all the 3,500 survey numbers in the village,” Mr. Meesi says.
The GPS-based application is stamped with Google Maps and linked to a database of Bhoomi, the State government’s online land records management system, to ensure accurate results. The youths go to fields and capture photos of standing crops and instantly upload them along with the survey numbers, using the app. They are paid ₹10 for each plot they survey using their own mobile phones.
“The chances of uploading wrong images, wrong survey numbers and wrong crop details are almost impossible as the application doesn’t allow it. The GPS-based application clearly identifies the survey number that the surveyor is standing on at the time of capturing the image. We have already completed 90% of the cultivable area in Kalaburagi district and the remaining portions will be finished in a few days,” R. Venkatesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, Kalaburagi, told The Hindu.
When asked about connectivity issues, he said it was required only during downloading and uploading activities.
