In News:

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has made it mandatory to incorporate ISRO’s National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM) analysis in all Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for highway construction. This marks a shift towards geospatially informed, risk-aware infrastructure planning wherein satellite-based decision support systems become integral to national development.

Key Highlights:

• NDEM is a national-level geospatial platform providing real-time, multi-temporal satellite data for disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and infrastructure planning.

Institutional Architecture

• Developer: National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), ISRO
• Guidance: National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) & Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
• Users: Central and State agencies, NDRF, SDRFs, SDMA, infrastructure planners

Core Functionalities

• Multi-hazard mapping (floods, earthquakes, cyclones, landslides, droughts)
• Digital Elevation Models (DEM) for terrain, slope, and drainage
• Land Use / Land Cover (LULC)
• Decision-support tools for emergency response
• Geospatial analytics for risk modelling and vulnerability assessment

Rationale Behind MoRTH’s Mandate

• Addressing Infrastructure Vulnerability: India’s highways traverse diverse geomorphological zones—floodplains, seismic zones, fragile Himalayan slopes - making them prone to natural hazards. NDEM’s geospatial datasets reduce the probability of faulty alignment, slope failure, and drainage mismanagement.
• Enhancing Project Feasibility and Efficiency: The mandate seeks to:
  • Reduce field-level uncertainties
  • Prevent cost overruns due to unforeseen terrain constraints
  • Align infrastructure with long-term climatic and hydrological trends
• Enabling Evidence-Based Governance: By mandating NDEM analysis, MoRTHinstitutionalises:
  • Data-driven DPR preparation
  • Accountability in route design
  • Standardisation of hazard-informed planning

Key Areas Where NDEM Strengthens Highway Planning

• Route Alignment Optimisation: NDEM helps engineers identify:
  • Landslide-prone slopes
  • Flood-prone lowlands
  • Seismic fault lines
  • Ecologically sensitive zones
  • This enables selection of safer, cost-optimal corridors.
• Improved Engineering Design
  • Hazard zonation supports:
  • Slope stabilisation design
  • Optimum bridge and culvert placement
  • Scientific drainage planning
  • Protection structures in vulnerable zones
• Social and Environmental Risk Reduction: NDEM layers assist in:
  • Avoiding densely populated risk zones
  • Minimising displacement and ecological impact
  • Strengthening environmental and social screening
• Strengthening Disaster Resilience: In the context of rising climate-driven hazards, NDEM supports planning that ensures:
  • Continuity of road networks during disasters
  • Reduced damage to assets
  • Better deployment of emergency services