GANGTOK,: Sikkim celebrated the ‘National Space Day 2024’ on Saturday here at
the State Project Monitoring Unit (SPMU), Water Resources department in a
programme organised by National Hydrology Project, SPMU, Water Resources
department, funded by the Jal Shakti ministry.
Addressing
the gathering, Water Resources minister Sonam Lama said the programme is to
commemorate India’s successful Chandrayaan III Mission moon landing which took
place on August 23, 2023. He congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
ISRO scientists for making India proud through the moon landing, making India
the fourth nation in the world to achieve this space feat.
“We also
thank the Jal Shakti ministry and National Hydrology Project for selecting
Sikkim as those 11 States who are celebrating the National Space Day. Sikkim is
flourishing in almost all sectors under the dynamic leadership of Chief
Minister PS Golay and such opportunities are being extended to Sikkim due to
his commendable work,” said the minister.
Lama
added that today’s celebration would encourage Sikkim students towards space
and technology studies. Students of colleges and schools are taking part in
today’s celebration and they will gain knowledge on space and technology, he
said, assuring to hold such events in a larger manner involving maximum
students if given a similar opportunity in future.
In his
address, Water Resources PCE-cum-secretary LD Lamtha thanked the Union
government for selecting Sikkim among the 11 implementing agencies of the
nation focusing on space technology application in the water sector.
“As one
of the implementing agencies under National Hydrology Project, we are here to
celebrate the National Space Day for the successful launching and landing of
the Chandrayaan III on the moon surface south pole on August 23, 2023. India is
the fourth country to achieve this historic space,” said Lamtha.
He
informed that National Hydrology Project (NHP) under the Water Resources
department was set up in 2016 with the main aim to improve the extent, quality
and accessibility of water resources information and to strengthen the capacity
of the targeted management institution in India.
The NHP
Sikkim has installed telemetry stations for real time data acquisition systems
like the Automatic Weather Station (AWS) and Automatic Water Level Recorder
(AWLR) at various locations of the State. The telemetry station is linked to satellites
which relays the information to the ground station and forwarded to the mission
control.
Lamtha
informed that the NHP Sikkim has completed installation of five AWS and 13 AWLRs,
out of which, three were washed away during the October 2023 flash flood.
The Water
Resources PCE-cum-secretary shared that the Chief Minister had immediately
visited the flash flood-hit areas and had directed the concerned departments to
swiftly prepare DPRs for restoration and rehabilitation works. The DPRs
submitted to the Centre are under active stage for consideration, he said.
Lamtha
informed that the Jal Shakti ministry has constituted a committee to study the
morphology of Teesta river and a joint field inspection by the committee and
Water Resources department was conducted a month ago.
As part
of the National Space Day celebration, the Water Resources department had held
painting, essay writing and elocution competitions on August 16 for the college
and school students.
The top
three winners in each category were awarded during the programme today.
In the
second half of the programme, resource persons from CGWB, NRSC, ISRO, Science
and Technology department, NIH-NERC Guwahati, Survey of India, Central Water
Commission, and Forest department presented talks on subjects like application
of space technology in ground water management, geospatial inputs for water resources
related applications, use of space technology for monitoring and mitigation of
GLOF, leveraging space technology to address hydrological challenges and their
practical application, application of CORS and talk on National Geospatial
policy - 2024 and application of space technology in surface water management.
