Indian Space Research Organization’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) has updated its Google-Earth like satellite mapping tool Bhuvan. The new features include - Open Source Bhuvan 3D: NRSC has released a platform and plugin independent 3D ‘globe’, Bhuvan 3D - based on WebGL. By default, the globe displays satellite imagery. Places can be searched for although its listings are not as comprehensive as Google Earth’s. Interestingly, satellite imagery for Sri Lanka is also viewable and although places are not named, fairly detailed street level views of some of the larger cities are clearly visible. Certain overlays such as Administrative boundaries, Road and Rail, Panchayat boundaries, Sub Basins, Basins and Rivers can be added to the map. The user can choose to view the globe as maps instead of satellite imagery to make better sense of the overlays. The platform has also released 3D models of certain buildings. Currently, the list is limited to the Karnataka High Court, Clock Tower, Cyber Towers, Indian Bureau of Mines and NBSS & LUP. While the initiative is interesting, its lacking compared to Google Earth which currently lets anyone add 3D models of any architecture. Disaster Management: NRSC has updated its disaster management tool to include an Early Warning System for rainfall triggered landslides. It currently covers 3 routes, Rishikesh-Badrinath, Chamoli-Okhimath and Rudraprayag-Kedarnath. A user can play an animated time series visualization to gauge the risk over time. Data about other landslide hazard routes in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are also available. Currently, Disaster Management Information Support also…
