Chennai: India will provide satellite imaging and aerial services for creating digital mapping of the Maldives and assist in setting up a remote sensing unit for analysing and updating the data.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed
in Male, Maldives by S M Gavai, high commissioner of India in the
Maldives and Hamdun Hameed, minister of planning and national development. The project will commence by the end of January 2004. Hamdun Hameed, said that the project would meet a crucial need of the Maldivian Government.

The National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA), Hyderabad, of the Department of Space (DOS) will execute this project. The project will involve creation of medium scale maps of the entire Maldives and large scale maps of selected areas. Along with ground reference points, these maps will be used for generating a geographical information system (GIS), which can be updated periodically.

NRSA will also assist in setting up the centre in Male for maintaining the GIS and for using satellite remote sensing data for thematic studies of land and oceans. NRSA will provide training to the Maldivian scientists for running the centre and interpreting the remote sensing data.