Agartala, March 19: Tripura has started hydrological mapping of the state through interpretation of satellite imagery in view of a looming water crisis across the state.

Tripura Space Application Centre, a special wing under the department of science and technology of the state government, has been entrusted with the responsibility.

Speaking on the project on which work is well in progress, the director of the centre, Nataraj Dutta, said the scheme was being implemented under the Rajiv Gandhi Drinking Water Mission all over the country. “Actually, the Centre has entrusted the task of satellite mapping of water resources as part of the mission to the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) in Hyderabad and we have signed an agreement with the NRSC authorities for implementing it here,” Dutta said.

He said the centre is now preparing a hydrological map of the state, showing details of water reserves underground though the task has already been completed in some other states of the country. “This map will help us easily identify the depth and extent of water resources underground and on that basis we will be able to plan how to draw water from a particular spot and the methods to be used. Now we go for sinking tubewells or deep tubewells responding to people’s demands, but very often they have to be abandoned. This will not happen when satellite mapping is available,” Dutta said.

He added that initially the state had been hamstrung by non-availability of hydro-geologists for the task in Tripura and the commencement of the work was delayed.

“Finally, a team of four hydro-geologists under the leadership of Parag Phukon had arrived and launched the work and then a three-member team of hydrologists headed by Alakesh Chatterjee from Calcutta’s Presidency University gave a major momentum to the work,” Dutta said.

He added that by end-July, the full report of water availability in the state would be prepared and submitted to the central authority. Explaining the methodology, Dutta said information yielded by satellite information and imagery give a clear picture of availability of surface water.