India has initiated a project to digitally map country with a resolution of 10 centimetres, using drones and techlogies such as Artificial Intelligence and big data, a senior government official said on Monday. herculean task was taken up by Survey of India, part of Department of Science and Techlogy, a few months ago and is planned to be completed in two years, Department's Secretary, Prof Ashutosh Sharma said.

"...w we are equipping m (Survey of India) with latest techlogies like drones, Artificial Intelligence, big data analytics, im processing and continuously operated reference system", he told reporters on sidelines of an event here.

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Once project is completed, data will be available to citizens and to Gram Panchayats and local bodies,empowering m to use it in decision making and planning process. survey is currently in progress in Karnataka, Haryana, Maharashtra and Ganga basin.

" entire Ganga basin from beginning to end, 25 km from eir sides of banks is being mapped with an accuracy of 10 cm," said Prof Sharma.

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He stressed need to have such a digital map

"Even today we don't have a digital map of India of sufficient accuracy, but this ( new digital map being prepared) is (going to be) basis for everything you do, wher we have to lay down train tracks, lay a ro, put up a hospital, cleaning up Ganga, cleaning up Cauvery or any kind of development and planning," he said.

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official clarified to a question that Indian Research Organisation (ISRO) was t part of programme.

"This is a different techlogy. Satellite produces im, but this one is based on drones. This is based on two techlogies because you get higher resolution with that. It is t just getting an im by flying drone. A map is different from an im. We have to produce a map which takes into account curvature," Prof Sharma said.

Reference point at every 20 km

Speaking about continuously operated reference system, he said Survey of India has a reference point at every 20 km.

"w with digital techlogy, each of se points you put actually a beacon...a stick...a digital station...with help of se digital stations, whose coordinates are wellestablished, even using your smart phones you can do your mapping with an accuracy of 10 cm," according to him.

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Digital map is different from GPS (Global Positioning System), he ted. While GPS may have an accuracy of a few metres, planned digital map -- with se reference points at every 20 km -- increases accuracy manifold.

"So you can do mapping as you go up and down, walk around with a resolution of 10 cm or better," official said.