J&K mulls ICT initiatives to save forests
The Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir is gearing up to employ ICT tools to monitor and manage its forests more effectively. The initiative is expected to accelerate the pace of implementation of the forest policy adopted recently by the forest department.
- The ICT tools will prevent land encroachments and will help in overall management of natural resources/ Photo credit: Super stock
Jammu and Kashmir has prepared the blueprint for taking up Information and Communication Technology (ICT) initiatives for saving the dwindling forest wealth of the state. The project has been prepared in line with "m-Governance Mantra for Forest Management" of Madhya Pradesh by which the central state is successfully managing its forest wealth with the help of ICT.
Some of the features of new ICT initiative will be Forest Protection Management System (FPMS) - which would monitor protection status of forests and wild-life, Forest Offence Management System (FOMS) - which registers forest offences electronically, Fire Alert Messaging System (FAMS) - which uses processed remote sensing data of active fire locations obtained from MODIS satellite and sends alerts to concerned field staff, Protection Information Management System (FIMS) and Protected Area Network Management System (PANMS).
According to sources the JK Forest Department has finalised the blue-print of the project and work on it would start soon.
The ICT initiative is expected to accelerate the pace of implementation of the Forest Policy adopted recently by the department. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests R D Tiwari confirmed that the blue-print of the project has been prepared.
"With the help of ICT tools, there will be fast communication linkage and transfer of information system from bottom to top. For this purpose all the data in the department will be digitised. "The ICT tools will prevent land encroachments and will help in overall management of natural resources," he added.
