GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS)

GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS)

Maps are widely-used as the languages of easy geography. Importance of map making is recognised previously. Surveyors went round the land and prepared maps. Data necessary for locating and calculating extent of any place/region is called spatial information.

Physical properties and human activities associated with a place/region are stored by means of tables, charts and texts. These details is called attribute data. Speaking about maps/plans and then to characteristic data stored in hard copies like books is cumbersome updating and managing the information is difficult. This problem is overcome by simply combining spatial data and attribute data with the location by appropriate data starting management in computers. The location information (spatial data) is digitised through available maps and stored with computers. For this data composition used is either raster information or vector data format. In raster data structures pickcells are from the spatial information, while in vector data structure coordinates are related to each region and sub-regions. In the spatial data attribute data will be overlayed and stored. Once that geographical information system is created, the user can access the attribute data of any where by clicking over the spatial data of the place. The user can utilise the info for further analysis, planning or to the management. For example, if land records of any village is developed as GIS information, the user can click the state map to post the district map and then access taluka map. Then he will access it to post the village map. Then land record of that village can be obtained and property map of any owner may be checked and printed. All this could be achieved in a very small amount of time from any convenient place. Remote sensing and GIS go hand in hand, since lot of data with regard to GIS is from remote realizing. Remote sensing needs GIS with regard to data analysis.

Some of the elements of GIS application are:
1. drainage techniques
2. streams and river basins supervision
3. lakes
4. canals
5. roads
6. railways
7. land documents
8. layout of residential locations
9. location of market, manufacturing, cultural and other utilities
10. land use of different crops etc.
The above information helps with planning infrastructural development activities such as planning roads, rail routes, dams, pathways, tunnels, etc. It helps in taking steps to test hazards of soil erosion and environmental pollution. Monitoring of crop pattern and condition helps in taking necessary action towards the challenges in future.