NATMO to prepare utility maps of Bengal, Sikkim for use of NDRF

The National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation (NATMO) will prepare ''utility and information maps'' of the districts of West Bengal and Sikkim for the use of NDRF in rescue operations during natural disasters, an official said on Saturday.

These maps containing minute details of roads, drainage and point of locations of available resources will be prepared on a scale of 1:50,000, NATMO Director Dr Tapati Banerjee told PTI.

The NATMO has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in this regard, she said.

The NATMO, which functions under the Union Ministry of Science & Technology, is the sole national agency bearing the responsibility of depicting national framework data in the form of thematic maps and atlases to cater to the various needs of different sectors.

The MoU was signed between Banerjee and NDRF Commandant, 2nd Battalion, Gurminder Singh, at Rashtriya Atlas Bhavan in Kolkata. ''These information/utility maps will be prepared at the district-level of West Bengal and Sikkim. We are planning to complete the project within six months,'' Banerjee said.