Geographical Information System (GIS) is an upcoming field concerned with generating, maintaining and utilising geographical and cartographic data in the best possible way. The growing awareness about its applications has thrown open a large number of jobs for GIS professionals in civil engineering and construction firms as also the fields of mining, defence, forest research, oil and mineral exploration, writes Peeyush Agnihotri

THE usual joke doing the rounds in geoscience circles is that if Christopher Columbus had used the Geographical Information System (GIS), he wouldn’t have discovered North America instead of India, the country he had actually set sail for.

Six centuries later, silicon chips have overtaken wooden ships and PC men have replaced seamen. Maps drawn through software on computers have become more precise than what were scrawled with pencil on a piece of paper. To put it simply, the human being has progressed and so has his way of working.

GIS is a software designed to generate, maintain and utilise geographical and cartographic data in the best possible way. In fact, it is a tool that can be applied to any field, be it the earth sciences, agricultural sciences, defence, nuclear sciences or town architecture. Planners have been known to have used the GIS inputs to design a full town in the US.

A nice thing about mapping through the GIS is that in conventional maps, prepared on sheets of paper, modification is not possible. Electronic maps are flexible that way. Data can be stored, modified and produced in a digital format through a series of permutations and combinations.

Explains Prof A.K. Tewari, a Principal Scientist with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR): "I was given a project to assess the area affected by choes (torrents in scientific parlance) in the Shivaliks. It was the GIS that enabled me to quantify it."

The process involves superimposition of aerial photographs, satellite maps and topo (graphical) sheets to reach a conclusion.

The GIS has applicability in a lot of fields. "GIS has been a part and parcel in the oil and gas exploration industry. It is employed from the very early exploration phase of reconnaissance surveys to the final determination of well location and field development plan. Mapping of the precise location of various geological features on the surface of the earth is essential in preparing a sound geological model, which in turn determines the exploration strategy.

Accurate mapping of various geographical features and infrastructure greatly helps in formulating the most cost-effective field development plan. In the current age of satellites and Global Positioning System through them, the GIS has become a very precise tool and has greatly reduced various error factors, leading to saving of millions of dollars. "Some of the GIS software widely being used in industry are MapInfo, ArcView, Finder and Intergraph GIS Modular," is how Dr Chungkham Prithiraj, an oil exploration expert, explains the usage in the petroleum sector.

Companies like Reliance have even customised GIS software to suit their needs. Three years ago, the ESRI, a GIS software company, and Mesa Solutions began working with Reliance Infocomm to define and implement an enterprise-wide GIS to manage its telecommunications network infrastructure and associated land base for its countrywide service area.

The GIS enables Reliance employees to produce and maintain comprehensive geo-database.

All data is stored using ArcSDE and Oracle.

Those who want to pursue a career in GIS should have a background in earth sciences. Graduation or postgraduation in this field is an essential prerequisite to pursuing a higher certification. Some knowledge of architecture or civil engineering helps.

The job potential in this field is immense. "Opportunities abound for GIS professionals. They are employed in civil engineering and construction firms, mining, defence, forest research, oil and mineral exploration. There is a huge demand by power companies to monitor and analyse the electricity load. The GIS transforms data into information for planning resources. It is a valuable tool in the social, medical, and engineering sciences, as well as in marketing and planning," says Anmol Sharma, Assistant Hydrogeologist, a Central Ground Water Board official.

According to Prof B.S. Gosal, Chairman, Department of Geography, Panjab University, Chandigarh., at present its scope is wider in the private than in the government sector.

Private IT-education institutes like NIIT are giving out courses in GIS. "The courseware includes GIS concepts and fundamentals, spatial data models, projections & geo-referencing, GIS and remote sensing, GIS applications and case studies, geometric networks and routing, spatial analysis and hydrologic modelling. Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in any discipline and working knowledge of personal computers and Windows," explains an NIIT executive.

Some commonly used petroleum software are Bubbles, CrossLog, Digimatic, Orefinder, Polymap and Viewpoint. Aquifer Win32, Grivel and ChemStat are the ecological ones.

The Geography Department of Panjab University, Chandigarh, also offers a course in the GIS. "It’s a one-year course and the pre-requisite is MA (Geography). Internal examination is held for 14 seats out of which nine are in the open category," says Professor Gosal.

IT professionals can also work in GIS companies in various categories. They need to have knowledge of Windows and Linux platforms, SQL C, Pearl, etc. Many geosciences companies employ them for providing online education.

The Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), Dehra Dun, offers many long and short-term courses in GIS. So does the Department of Earth Sciences, IIT, Roorkee.

A computer professional, who wishes to start off in a GIS firm must have a good knowledge of HTML and Dreamweaver.

GIS gives new direction to Punjab projects GIS is the in thing these days. Though at present it is people in the R & D institutions who are aware about the development in this field, in the next three years, its use will start trickling down to the grassroots level. Prof K.P. Singh These views were expressed by Prof. K.P. Singh of the Department of Geology, Panjab University, who is well-versed with the academic as well as the practical applications of GIS. Closely associated with various GIS projects that were and are being applied in Punjab, he says that GIS can be used for building database for natural resource-building in Punjab. Pointing out that Mansa district has become the first district to maintain a complete database on natural resources, he says more such projects are in the offing. A scheme of the Department of Space, Government of India, was given to Punjab to manage database for all districts. Dr K.S. Batth Dr Neelam Gulati Sharma Another UNDP-funded project, Information Technology for Sustainable Agriculture Production in Punjab, covering Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Patiala and Muktsar districts, is also on the agenda. He says that GIS can also be dubbed as the Decision Support System and that in Sangrur district soil mapping is being done with this system. Dr Neelam Gulati Sharma, Principal Scientific Officer, Punjab State Council for Science and Technology (PSCST), says that students are being made aware about geoinformation and 40 schools have been identified in Patiala, Mansa, Ludhiana and Amritsar districts. Japanese kits worth Rs 25,000 each are being distributed to them to identify problems in their respective areas. ‘The project would be formally launched in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab simultaneously on Children’s Day--- November 14. Software and equipment for this have already been procured," she informs. Dr K.S. Batth, Senior Scientific Officer, PSCST, says, "The Centre has sanctioned Rs 10.53 lakh for the project on location-specific problems requiring scientific intervention in Punjab. Mapping of science and technology needs would be suggested in digital format using the GIS applications for locating problem areas, status of development therein, status of R & D input needed in different sectors, areas having common problems, identification of thrust areas and suggested remedies."