Srinagar, April 6: To keep a check on the spread of Covid-19, J&K Government has decided to employ Spatio-temporal mapping in J&K.
The move is aimed to have a clear picture of containment zones or the
areas having reported positive cases by plotting the identified areas
through spatio-temporal mapping.
Chief Secretary has directed the Commissioner Secretary, Forests to
depute technical experts from Environment & Remote Sensing
Department at the disposal of DCs along with their staff for mapping
related activities.
Disease mapping
is a field of spatial epidemiology and it helps estimate the spatial
pattern of disease. In the case of Covid-19, with the help of tools
like geographic information system (GIS) and global positioning system
(GPS) a disease map will be prepared.
A senior official said that it will help track the suspected covid-19
patients besides giving an idea about the pattern of spread of the
disease in the area.
The use of
Geospatial technology helps in rescue and relief in crises by boosting
relief and rehabilitation efforts, he added, “ In the case of
Coronavirus, the geospatial technology will help in tracking the spread
of the virus, constantly updating the number of people affected, and
providing real-time information.
“Geo-referencing disease cases give a spatial dimension to health,
environment linkages. This not only helps pinpoint issues but also
describes the intensity or extent of the cause or effect. We can do that
by identifying actionable and biologically meaningful data patterns,
developing predictions about future risk and epidemic trajectories, and
characterizing possible losses under a range of intervention
scenarios,” a disaster management expert said.
“Maps can help highlight localized issues like exposure to diseases
from the location of disposal site as well as more diffuse issues like
exposure to radiation from reductions in atmospheric ozone. They can
act as early warning tools,” he added. (KNS)