India’s vast national highways network is poised for a technological makeover as the ministry of road transport and Highway (MoRTH) has fast-tracked the process of completely mapping roads with a geographic information system (GIS) by July 31.

The ministry has urged all the state and Central agencies engaged in building and maintaining roads to coordinate with its regional offices, so that field surveys can be done to update and verify details of the mapping accomplished so far.

The road mapping is being executed by the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N), Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat. GIS maps include a detailed visual representation of data, including topography, facilities, location, structures, and images. Besides, these maps can be effortlessly added to different mobile apps and transmitted.

Officials said GIS mapping of the NH network is one of the most crucial needs for planning, executing, and monitoring the network, but the task has not been finished, so far, and hence, a target of July 31 has been fixed.

BISAG-N has already accomplished GIS mapping of about 1.30 lakh kilometres of NH, but it needs updates and verification, according to the ministry.

The field units of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in coordination and help of BISAG-N are verifying the details but the field units of the ministry and other agencies such as the state public work department (PWD), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), road construction department (RCD), and National Highways and Infrastructure Development (NHIDCL) are also needed to engage themselves with BISAG-N for the work, said the officials.

The regional offices have also been urged to coordinate with field units of other implementing agencies to depute appropriate personnel to obtain the details of all NH sections reviewed and mapped. They will also assure the availability of details with field units of respective executing agencies for ready consideration.

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