Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today reiterated the need to harness technology in the state government’s efforts to preserve and protect Meghalaya’s forest cover, which is under extreme anthropogenic pressures.
Sangma released the final report on ‘Forest Survey and Mapping for Meghalaya Using Hybrid System to Analyse Carbon Financing and Phyto Diversity Heat Map’ here today.
Speaking on the occasion, the CM said that he has been a very strong advocate of the use of technology when it comes to ensuring information and data. He also said that the days of collecting data and sending surveyors to the grassroots are over as technology has taken over that particular aspect.
The data gathered will be combined with those from other sources and used to improve predictability models.
Some of the information was vitally important as the company that conducted the survey and mapping, Noida-based GarudaUAV Soft Solution Pvt Ltd, found that some indigenous plants that were considered to have been near extinction.
Such plants will be conserved for the benefit of traditional herbal healers, who will work to maintain and keep the indigenous flora and fauna alive, it is hoped.
For the first time 330 indigenous tree species were identified and mapped for Meghalaya using the most advanced aerial based hyper spectral data sets. This unique study has been implemented for the first time for any state in India.
The Chief Minister also said that forest fires, economic activities and rain patterns affect the livelihoods of the people and therefore the mapping and correlation of all this information and data will ultimately help predict the trends and realise the consequences for the future.
“But if we are able to really map it with the information that we have right now (through the report), not only are we able to create better predictability of what will happen in the future but, more importantly, we will be able to utilise the funds in an appropriate and effective manner,” Sangma said.
