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The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, engaged in a discussion with the Canadian Minister for Natural Resources, Mr Herb Dhaliwal, before the inaugural session of the seminar on `Geomatics in Sustainable Development of Andhra Pradesh' in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Mr B.V.R. Mohan Reddy, Chairman CII (Andhra Pradesh Chapter) and CMD, Infotech Enterprises Ltd, and Mr J. Satyanarayana, Principal Secretary, IT&C Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, are also seen.

HYDERABAD, Nov. 13

THE Governments of Canada and Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) here to set up a framework for collaboration in areas of geomatics, geoscience and geographic information technology.

Mr Herb Dhaliwal, Canadian Minister for Natural Resources, who led a 30-member industry and government delegation specialising in the geospatial areas including energy, mining and forest products, said at a meeting organised to mark the event that already a dozen Canadian companies were working in the country on geomatics.

The MoU would involve more companies in different areas and strengthen the ties further. "By working together, we can take advantage of cost-competitiveness, expertise and management excellence. We are laying the foundation for future agreements and opening the doors to more business in the coming years".

Geomatics is the science and technology of gathering, analysing and using geographic information. Remote sensing, photogrammetry, surveying and mapping, geographic information and geographic positioning systems form part of geomatic technology.

Geomatics can help a country address issues such as agriculture, environmental monitoring, land management and disaster response.

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, who inaugurated the event organised by the local unit of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said that technology was an inseparable tool for the speedy development of society and by using it, the State had made rapid strides in the last five years on various fronts.

The MoU would enable the State develop a model which could be replicated in other States. The new gas finds in the Krishna-Godavari basin had given a new dimension to the country's gas availability, with the State accounting for 60 per cent of it.

Mr B.V.R. Mohan Reddy, Chairman of CII State unit, said that geomatics had immense potential to address national and global issues and was being used, among others, for mineral exploration, coastal zone management and marine resource management.

Geomatics was a $13-billion industry with an annual growth rate of 20 per cent and Canada was ahead of the US in this respect, he said.

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