Lok Sabha Question No. 1792 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-30
Subject: Availability of Contour Plans for Public Use
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Captain Viriato Fernandes

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1792 ANSWERED ON 30/07/2025

## AVAILABILITY OF CONTOUR PLANS FOR PUBLIC USE 1792. SHRI CAPTAIN VIRIATO FERNANDES:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to make the contour plans and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) of the country publicly accessible, especially for landslide-vulnerable regions such as the Western Ghats to facilitate participatory planning and monitoring of environmental violations;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, including the platforms on which such data will be made available and the resolution of data proposed to be released;
- (c) whether the Gati Shakti initiative or similar policy mandates release of contour plans and DEMs for public use, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons for restricting access to such data;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to consider making these data  sets  available  for  Disaster  Management,  if  so,  the  details thereof; and
- (e) the details of the steps taken by the Government to ensure that high-resolution DEMs and contour data are accessible for research/planning/monitoring by citizens/local bodies, particularly in ecologically sensitive and disaster-prone zones?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

( स्ितंत्र प्रभार) ( )

विज्ञान और प्रौद्योगिकी तथा पृ थ्िी विज्ञान मंत्रालय क े राज्य मंत्री डॉ. जितेंद्र स ंह

(a) to (b): Currently  the  DEM  generated  from  the  topographical datasets of Survey of India (SoI) and the contours in the Open Series Maps (OSM) are available on https://onlinemaps.surveyofindia.gov.in. Further,  the  Government  of  India  has  recently  announced  the

National  Geospatial  Mission  (NGM)  under  which  the  generation  of high-resolution Ortho-imagery (ORI) & high accuracy Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for the entire country has been envisaged. These can be used  for  the  different  application  in  various  sectors  including facilitation of participatory planning and monitoring of environmental violations in Landslide-Vulnerable regions such as the Western Ghats.

(c) to (e): Guidelines  for  acquiring  and  producing  Geospatial  Data and Geospatial Data Services including Maps, 2021 provides that all Geospatial Data produced using public funds, except the classified geospatial  data  collected  by  security/law  enforcement  agencies, shall be made  easily accessible for scientific,  economic  and developmental  purposes  to  all  Indian  Entities  and  without  any restrictions  on  their  use.  Such  access  shall  be  given  free  of  any charges to Government agencies and at fair and transparent pricing to  others.  National  Geospatial  Policy,  2022  further  provides  for establishing and strengthening an integrative interface for all digital data  having  location  dimension  collected  or  developed  utilizing public  funds,  for  easy  access,  sharing,  use  and  reuse.   Also,  the topographic data and other Geospatial Data produced by Survey of India  using  public  funds  is  treated  as  common  good  and  easily available. Accordingly, the DEM/contour data of ecologically sensitive  areas  and  disaster-prone  zones  (like    Coastal  Areas  and River basins), that have been generated by SoI under various National Projects, are accessible to all Indian entities.

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