In what could be a boon to farmers, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is planning to provide timely information to farmers through postmen.
Isro chairman A S Kiran Kumar disclosed this during his address at ‘Farewell 2016’ organised by Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering here on Saturday. He said, ‘Isro is working with the Department of Posts to link postmen with farmers to guide them with available data. The agrarian community will be provided with relevant information on cultivation, crop pattern, usage of fertiliser, sowing and harvest periods depending on seasons.”
For instance, Kumar went on, the Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre, New Delhi, is making use of technology, dispensing information not just about harvesting, but also on the expected crop yield. Space technology can help the agriculture sector in crop damage assessment, soil health and blue revolution. It is also handy in disaster management as alerts can be sent ahead of any natural calamity, he added.
The technology developed by Isro has also helped bring down deaths in super cyclones to single digit. Advancements in technology help in prognostication of natural calamities 40-90 hours in advance, Kumar said.
On the Global Positioning System, he said, ‘GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (Gagan) is more accurate than any other currently available technology. Gagan is better than any GPS as it ensures that at any given point in time, the measurements are reliable, he said.
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