How 1965 US spy satellite images will help rejuvenate Ganga
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), led by IIT Kanpur, has launched a groundbreaking project to revive River Ganga. Using declassified 1965 satellite images alongside modern data, the project maps changes in the river's morphology and land use over five decades. This data-driven approach informs a comprehensive restoration plan, accessible through a web-GIS platform and Google Earth Engine, enabling scientific decision-making for Ganga's rejuvenation.
New Delhi: It's an one-of-its-kind project that will see the Ganga on the course of revival. Led by IIT Kanpur, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has launched the ambitious plan which revisits the past to improve the present and pave the way for a better future.
What's the project and how it will be implemented
In 1965, American spy satellite series 'Corona' captured rare images of the Ganga. IIT researchers have combined these images with advanced satellite imagery from 2018-19 to find out how Ganga's morphology, flow, and land use has changed over the last five decades, as per a PTI report.
A government statement said that the study is being hailed as a milestone in developing a data-driven and concrete blueprint for Ganga's conservation and restoration. The project will be part of the Ganga Knowledge Centre, which is a repository of research, portals, and data on the Ganga, created to help make scientific and research-based decisions to revive the glory of the river.
The Ganga is captured in its most pristine state in the 'Corona' images in 1965-75. However, the 2018-2019 images show that river has undergone a lot of changes -- with barrages, embankments, and urban sprawl hampering the river's "meandering pace" and unrestricted flow.
To create scientific health map of the river, the boundaries of the entire Ganga basin will be clearly delineated and precisely mapped using 'Corona' images. Comparing images from 1965–75 with the current ones will provide a clear picture of how land use and the river’s geomorphology have altered.
All data will be gathered into a Web-GIS module with a powerful query system. This will permit the researchers and planners to quickly retrieve the exact information they need.
How it will help
The study comparing the images of the past with the present offers new hope for the river's rejuvenation. The comparative study provides scientists detailed maps showing where restoration initiatives could help the Ganga get back its natural flow and where better land use practices could boost its health.
The project is not only creating a scientific record of changes in the river's geomorphology but is also highlighting, through a comparative study of Land Use and Land Cover (LULC), how encroachment, rapid urban expansion, and agricultural growth are impacting the river's natural balance, as per the government.
On the basis on the study's findings, an advanced Web-GIS library is being set up to directly support future policies, river management strategies, and restoration projects.
The NMCG will host the 'Corona' and LULC data on an interactive user interface and the Google Earth Engine application that can go a long way in analysing and planning that can be carried out on a single platform. The project will also create special digital displays for nine key locations — Haridwar, Bijnor, Narora, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Bhagalpur, and Farakka — which will be key tools for decision-making at both local and national levels.
According to IIT Kanpur scientists, this project marks the start of a new era of "data-driven" planning in Ganga conservation.