The India Observatory, launched in December 2019 and focusing primarily on ecological issues, is now shifting its focus towards real-time tracking of migrant movements amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. This shift has resulted in the development of a Geographic Information System (GIS)-enabled dashboard, known as Collaboration/Covid Action Support Group (CoAST India).
CoAST India: Tracking Migrant Movements
CoAST India provides a visual representation of migrant flows across the country. The dashboard includes an interactive map of India, which reflects the movement of migrants, often on foot, in real time. It also identifies facilities and relief organisations along these migration routes. This data, gathered from 55 organisations, primarily located in rural areas, helps both government entities and small local civil society groups plan and provide necessary aid to the migrants.
The dashboard is a result of a partnership with the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), aiding in the shift of focus from environmental to human movements during the pandemic period.
National Disaster Management Authority’s Initiative
Alongside the CoAST India dashboard, The National Disaster Management Authority has developed the ‘National Migrant Information System (NMIS)’. The system functions as a central repository for migrant worker information.
Understanding Geographic Information System
A GIS is a computer-based tool employed for storing, verifying, and displaying data linked to geographical locations on Earth’s surface. By correlating unrelated data, GIS aids in understanding spatial patterns and relationships. Any data that includes location – expressed in various forms like latitude and longitude, address, or ZIP code – can be incorporated into GIS. Consequently, it can provide information about population demographics, income, education level, or even locale-specific data such as location of factories, roads, electric power lines, etc.
India Observatory: An Overview
The India Observatory is the nation’s first socio-economic and ecological integrated Geospatial data platform, aiming to inform local level decision-making by village communities, Panchayats, NGOs, governments and citizens. Offering data on over 1600 parameters – from the village to the national level – it serves as a comprehensive resource for understanding various aspects of Indian society and ecology. The ‘India Data Platform’ lies at its core, making this wealth of data freely available in various formats like maps, graphs, tables and infographics.
About Foundation for Ecological Security
The Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) is a non-profit organisation headquartered in Anand, Gujarat. FES focuses on the restoration and conservation of ecologically fragile and marginalised regions across the country, working in close collaboration with local village communities. It plays a vital role in preserving India’s land and water resources, thus contributing significantly to the nation’s environmental sustainability initiatives.
