IT Practices in Chhattisgarh Forest Department

An Overview

Forest management in today’s meaning is all about managing forest development in such a way that it is economically viable, environmentally benign and socially beneficial and at the same time, it balances present and future needs. More precisely speaking, it is the process of managing forests to achieve one or more clearly specified objectives of management with regard to the production of a continuous flow of desired forest products and services, without undue reduction of its inherent values and future productivity and without undue undesirable effects on the physical and social environment (ITTO, 1998).

The objectives of management can be achieved only when we take scientific approach to decision making. This is possible only with the application of modern technologies such as Information Technologies, Geographical Information System (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS) Geographical Positioning System (GPS) , internet and various communication technologies.

FMIS Division, Raipur

Chhatisgarh State Forest Policy- October 2001 enunciates the following strategy for application of information technology into forest management. Development of a comprehensive Forest Database  

Priority needs to be accorded to developing a comprehensive database regarding the forest resources in the state and to update it on a regular basis. A Forest Information Center (FIC) should be set up and well provided for in terms of manpower as well as computation hardware and software resources. Use of Geographical Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) in Forest Management Geographical Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology has important applications in forestry. A full-fledged GIS center for rapid adoption of these technologies into the planning, implementation and monitoring of forestry plans and schemes should be established. Promotion of Electronic Governance in Forestry Electronic governance, which is the application of information technology to the process of governance, has assumed importance in all walks of life. Forest administration should be encouraged to maximize the use of e-governance in all its operations specially that which pertains to public dealing.

Information Management in the Forest Department

Over the years, the role of forest department in the society has become very complex and diversified. The bounden duty of the department is to cater to the needs of the society while managing the forest resources sustainably. This has increased the complexity of the forest management process. The intricacies involved in restoring degraded forests, harvesting of forest produce, community development, monitoring and evaluation, timely completion of working plans, preparation of micro-plan, economic plantation etc. have compounded the problem of forest management practices.

Because of multiple and complex operations taking place in the course of development huge amount data is generated at every day at levels of organizational hierarchy right from range to apex level. These data are analyzed for limited purposes only. In fact, there is a lack of adequate information system to organize , manage and store these data in an organized way for future use. As a result the department is not in a position to fully use those data for decision making process . This apart, a lot of time is wasted because the same information on account of not being stored properly, are being collected repeatedly. The areas, which need immediate attention in forest information management , are :

Training At FMIS Division

1. Simplification and rationalization of data format ;
2. Collection of data in pre-organized format
3. Analysis of data;

4. Storage and processing of data in electronic format.

5. Transmission of data and information to different decision making levels by using modern communication technology.

The period from 1995-1999 constitutes the beginning of information management in the department. It has been done by applying IT in forestry. Each forest division and circle of the state have been provided with computers and other accessories as a part of M..P. Forestry Project Phase I. A Forest Management Information System Division (FMIS) cell, at Raipur was also established during that period. The cell was provided with some hardware and software to initiate some works in this direction. The basic aim of FMIS cell was to develop electronic data processing facilities for working plan exercises. A pilot Project was initiated to digitize forest maps of North Raipur and develop DSS for plantation, working plan, micro-planning, and production . But these initiatives did not bear fruits because Siemen’s Information India Ltd, could not complete any work in time. 

Computer Availability and IT application at different levels

1. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Office: Apex level: The PCCF office is situated at Raipur . There are about 35 computers in this office. A structured networking connects all computers to each other. Internet facilities are available in each computer.

2. Forest Circle level: There are eight forest circles in the sate. Each office has about two computers in each office. Computers are used for day-to-day office work . In addition to it, there are eight Working Plan divisions in the state. Each office has two computers. These computers are used for data entry , editing and analysis of inventory , compartment and other WP data.

3. Forest Division Level: There are 32 territorial forest divisions, 2 National Park divisions, and 3 social forestry divisions and 1 forest school . Every forest division has at least minimum three computers in their office. Computers are used for day-to-day office work.

4. FMIS Division: There is an IT division at Raipur called as Forest Management Information System (FMIS) division. The FMIS cell, over the year evolved to take the shape of a division . It is engaged in planning , developing , implementing management information system (MIS) for the state of Chhatisgarh.

Forest Management Information System (FMIS)

After the formation of Chattisgarh in the year November 2000, initiative was taken to start Forest Management Information System afresh. This initiative gathered momentum gradually. Presently , Forest Management Information System (FMIS) has evolved as an integrated management tool bringing synergy between sustainable forestry and state of art technologies. It is now used to support planning, implementation and monitoring of multi-objective format of management activities in Chattisgarh, It is used for preparation /revision of working plan . This apart, operational planning , implementation and control in and across administrative units and levels of the organizational hierarchy. However, FMIS being an evolving concept is dynamically amenable to changing goals , needs , technology and conditions that prevail in the forest department in time to time .

Presently, the division is implementing a fully integrated FMIS incorporating all aspects of forest management – protection, inventory, planning, financial management, physical and environmental monitoring, and evaluation as well as all aspects of marketing (timber and non-timber forest products). GIS is being fully integrated into the new system of working in the department. This approach represents a marked departure from earlier initiative to develop a management information system that was intended primarily as a monitoring tool.

The management information system is focusing on structured tasks and routine decision making processes. It is primarily emphasizing on data creation, processing, analysis, and storage in an organized fashion; so that access to the database will be quick and easy. It is also focusing on application of GIS and remote sensing in forest management planning and practices.

1. Data Collection & Creation (Spatial & Non-spatial).
2. Forest Mapping.
3. Forest Management Planning.
4. Forest Operational Management.

5. Development of Application Software (for Integrated Forest Operational Management).

6. Networking & Communication.
7. Training & Capacity Building

Performance at a glance 

FMIS is an integrated tool for strategic forest planning at apex level, and tactical planning at circle and division level . Spatial and non-spatial databases are foundations for all different types of planning including working plan revision . Application software are tools for data entry , analysis and reporting . this tool cannot be developed without establishing necessary infrastructure.

Necessary infrastructure at FDHQ level, circle level, division level and range level in proportion to the need of the organization has been developed to operationalize Forest Management Information System in the state. FMIS Division as a nodal institution has been set up for implementing FMIS . The division has working space of 4000 Sq Ft. It has section like Geographic Information System (GIS) ,Digital Interpretation (DIP), Management Information System (MIS) , Digitization , Training and Cartography . Necessary hardwares such as Workstations/ Desktops , High end Servers , Large Format Printers , and other accessories are available to achieve the goals of FMIS . Various new systems and GIS/DIP softwares are added to the existing stocks. GPS receivers have been procured and are all in use in different working plan and territorial divisions of the state. These hand-held 12-channel receivers are used in Forest Resources Survey and other field exercises.

Digitization Section, FMIS Division

The forestry sector suffers from lack of organized data. Therefore, it is necessary to collect data from different sources and organize them in a proper way. In general, there are two major sources used for data gathering. First is primary source of data and second is secondary source of data. The primary source consists of two important methods: remote sensing and field survey while GIS and specially designed MIS are used to translate primary data into useful information. More and more, new technologies like remote sensing, GPS, Data Loggers are being used to collect primary data from the field. Secondary data are collected from agencies such as Survey of India , Forest Survey of India , Census, National Smple Survey , National Beurue of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSSLUP), meteororligcal department , Forest Department, National Atlas & Thematic Mapping Organization (NATMO), Culcutta etc

1. JFM Database created for Raipur and Bastar circle.

2. Inventory database : Inventory data of Dhamtari, Bastar,Bhanupratapur, Narayanpur , Bilaspur , East Raipur , Jashpur and Korea/Manindragarh forest divisions collected , processed and kept for data warehousing.

3. Soil Resource Data of Chhattisgarh.
4. Forest Cover Data of Forest Survey of India –2001 .

5. Forest Cover Data of Forest Survey of India –2003 .

6. Forest stock map of 30 forest divisions out of 32 divisions and all three National Park have been digitized. Digitization of forest stock maps have been done in-house in Digitization Lab established in the division.

• Forest cover maps have been prepared for 32 forest divisions and three National Parks by using remote sensing data .Forest Cover Maps with classification such as dense forests, open forests, scrub forest , non-forest land , water bodies , etc are being produced .

•  The Soil Resource Maps have been prepared for the state.

•  The Soil Erosion maps have been prepared for the state.

• Forest Stock Maps and Management Maps of East Raipur and Udanti Forest Division have been prepared.

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  NDVI maps for East- Raipur and Udanti division forest divisions have been produced by using LISS-3 data procured from NRSA Hyderabad.

• Fire Occuranc Maps for all 32 forest divisions and 3 National Parks are being prepared.

• Forest Cover Density Maps for the Following divisions have been prepared by interpreting Liss III data (procured from NRSA, Hydrabad ) These maps are/have been used as input for stock mapping exercise.

1.  Raipur Forest Division,
2.  Mahasamund Forest Division,
3. Narayanpur Forest Division,
4. East Bhanupratapur Forest Division,
5. West Bhanupratapur Forest Division,
6. Dhamtari Forest Division,
7. North Sarguja Forest Division,
8. Bilaspur Forest Division,
9. Korea Forest Division
10. Manindragarh Forest Division,
11. Jashpur Forest Division,
12. Raigarh Forest Division

Working plan constitutes the basis of forest management in every forest division. It is revised in every ten years. Revision of working plan reguirs an array of inputs and services.

• Forest Resource (Inventory) Management System : An application software had been used extensively for processing inventory data of Dhamtari, Bastar, Bhanupratapur, Narayanpur , Bilaspur , East Raipur , Jashpur and Korea/Manindragarh . Inventory reports have been generated for these Working Plan divisions.

• Compartment Information System : Application software for compartment data processing has been developed. The data regarding forest compartments of different forest divisions are fed into this software for processing and storage. 

• Flora & Fauna Information System has been developed and data regarding the diversity of flora and fauna have been entered into the system.

Application softwares are required for data processing , storage, analysis and  integrated forest operational management. Therefore, FMIS division has embarked on developing a couple of application softwares on a priority basis. These application softwares such as Information Systems / Decision Support Systems (DSS) have been developed for various fields of forestry operations such as Production, Personnel Management, Working Plans, Plantations, Forest Accounts, Joint Forest Management, PPA Management, Land Management, etc. Application softwares are required for data processing , storage, analysis and  integrated forest operational management. Therefore, FMIS division has embarked on developing a couple of application softwares on a priority basis. These application softwares such as Information Systems / Decision Support Systems (DSS) have been developed for various fields of forestry operations such as Production, Personnel Management, Working Plans, Plantations, Forest Accounts, Joint Forest Management, PPA Management, Land Management, etc.

Some of the key application softwares developed or being developed by FMIS Division are as follows :

1. 1. Personal Information System (PIS)
2.  2. Office Management Suite

Accounts & Budget :

1.  Forest Accounts Management System (FAMS)

Production :

1. Production Decision Support System (DSS)

Working Plan :

1. Working Plan DSS                         
2. Flora and Fauna Information System  

 Non-wood Forest Products : PPA Information System. 

Working Plan DSS

: The Working Plan DSS is modular in nature. It has the following modules:

Few modules such as pilot survey, inventory and compartment history are in operation in different working plan divisions of the state. 

View At Office Management Suite

Daily Fire Alaram: Active fire points are detected using data from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer ) instrument , on board NASA’s Aqua and Tera satellite s . Web Fire Mapper is an internet based mapping tool that delivers location of active fire in near real time . With the use of internt and GIS technology , these locational and other thematic information regarding active fire points are retrived from the site on a daily basis and ploted on forest areas of Chatisgarh . This exercise provides location of active fire points falling on forest compartments , ranges and divisions of the state . This information is sent to respective forest circle and division on a daily basis . FMIS Division has intitiated this Daily Fire Alarm exercise from 25th of February 2006.

Fire Occurance Map of India

On-line application softwares are being developed and put to use. Apart from this, various Information Systems / Decision Support Systems (DSS) developed for different field of forestry operations are being used at different levels such as forest range, division, circle for managing different forest operations.

Access to efficient, effective and timely information is a sin-qua-non for all decision makers in any organization . Therefore, FMIS should be developed as a tool for networking and communication among various decision-making levels. Beyond the voice and ground mail capabilities currently used, email , and file transfer capabilities are used to support the kinds of operative and iterative decision processes that forest organization generally undertake.

R F Tower, F.D.H.Q, Raipur

The development of an effective integrated network with , email , and file transfer capabilities , using internet and intranet technologies, is being aimed at. This will allow all forest offices located in distant places to share data and information and even see any other information. This apart, knowledge and information from external sources shall also be easily disseminated using such technologies.

Home Page Forest Department's Website

Presently, FMIS division has executed and operationalized the following tasks:

• LAN project in the FDHQ Raipur. It connects 35 computers located in different wings of the FDHQ into the LAN.

• Radio frequency (R.F.) link has been established in FDHQ , Raipur is association with National Informatics Center (NIC) to provide free accessibility to internet.

•  LAN in FMIS division connecting 36 computers .

• Official Website such as www.cgforest.org and www.cgforest.nic.in have been developed and lunched to disseminate information.

Training and capacity building of people working in any system hold the key to success. FMIS division has embarked on an onerous task of imparting the necessary skill to its officers, staff and other users. The training focuses on two phases. During the first phase we are providing technology exposure to all the officers/staffs of the department up to ranger level. This training covers the area of GIS , Remote Sensing , GPS and basics of database management . The second phase is a product and process based training. This second phase of training is aimed at imparting necessary skill to operationalized a product or process. This training is imparted to target specific officers and staffs.

Training materials for developing skills in data capture, data entry, and data analysis have been developed and broadly disseminated. The FMIS Division, has organized various training programs . Various in-house training programs have been organized from time to time for upgrading the skill levels of officers and staffs.