Anna University to undertake 3D radar terrain mapping of coastline

Institute of Remote Sensing (IRS) of Anna University in India will carry out Airbourne Radar Terrain Mapping along the coastline stretching from Nagapattinam to Nellore to facilitate disaster mitigation. The pioneering project was approved by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India recently and work will start soon. The aim of the project is to map the elevation of terrain and also parts of the sea bed along the coastline so that the three dimensional images can be used to assess and identify the probability of flooding during natural disasters including cyclone, heavy rains and even tsunami. Rivers and canals mouth will also be mapped. Nagapattinam and Nellore stretch was selected because it was not only prone to natural disasters but also had the most number of rivers and canals flowing into the sea. The accumulation of silt on these river mouths and canals could be gauged, thus increasing the possibility of averting floods.