Dr Jitendra launches ISRO’s ‘Bhuvan Panchayat Portal’ for rural land records

New Delhi, June 28: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, launched two Geoportals – “Bhuvan Panchayat (Ver. 4.0) Portal” and “National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM Ver. 5.0)” developed by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). These geoportals will provide high-resolution satellite imagery for different locations across the country and are aimed at visualizing and planning for rural land records management.
Dr Singh praised the team at ISRO, saying, “We have not only launched rockets and reached the sky but we are also mapping the earth from the sky.” He also congratulated the team on carrying forward the vision of founding father of space technology, Vikram Sarabhai, who believed that development in space would have a multifaceted impact on the lives of common citizens.
The minister said that the government’s priority is to integrate various services and allow common citizens to benefit from them. “The outcome of policy decisions under the Modi government has opened up the space sector for private participation, with over 200 startups emerging in 2024,” he said.
Dr Jitendra highlighted the importance of “Bhuvan Panchayat Portal” in supporting “Space-based Information Support for Decentralized Planning (SISDP)” and empowering citizens at the grassroots level in panchayats. He mentioned the benefits of National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM Ver. 5.0), which will provide space-based inputs on natural disasters and aid in disaster risk reduction in India and neighboring countries.
The minister said that a command center has been established to monitor situations continuously and provide valuable inputs. The event was attended by S Somanath, Chairman ISRO, Secretary Department of Space, Secretary Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Secretary Earth Sciences, Additional Secretary MHA, Inspector General of Forests MoEFCC, Director General GSI MoMines, and Director NRSC among others.