Rescue workers in Kerala will no longer have to take a blind dive to save passengers trapped in a sinking vessel or tourists drowning in a river.
They can now pull up a map on their mobile phones showing the water depth, treacherous currents, and underwater topography to make a precise calculation and avoid unnecessary risks.
Understanding the bathymetric features of the near-shore areas along the coast and inland waterbodies including rivers, lakes, dams, reservoirs ponds, and streams, will now be easier, thanks to a digital mapping project undertaken by the State department of Hydrographic Survey.
The web-based software named Jalanetra developed by the department in association with Digital University and the Kerala Startup Mission will enable various stakeholder agencies like the Fisheries, Revenue, Irrigation, Tourism and Ports departments, Coast Guard, Coastal Police, Indian Navy, KSEB, and local bodies to understand and monitor the water depth, underwater currents, tidal surge, coastal erosion, submerged topography, aquatic biodiversity, and pollution of water bodies.
It will also assist emergency response teams to track vessels and help rescue stranded sailors besides preparing precise estimates for dredging and harbour engineering.
The charts will be updated twice every year through a survey and handed over to the user agencies. The data can be accessed in the form of 2-D or 3-D maps through a mobile app.
The inputs needed for preparing the digital maps were sourced from echo sounders, current meters, sonars, differential GPS, underwater cameras and satellites. The Hydrographic Survey department has also developed a web portal and mobile app to disseminate the data.
