Andhra Pradesh to launch HARITA initiative for better planning

Andhra Pradesh government plans to launch yet another high-tech initiative called Harmonised Information of Agriculture, Revenue and Irrigation for a Transformation Agenda (HARITA), it was officially announced here today.
The initiative aims at creating an information highway in Andhra Pradesh to provide integrated information services for better planning of agriculture extension activity.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu chaired a high-level meeting here to discuss the project's modalities, according to an official release.
The project, which is to be taken up on a pilot basis in three districts at a cost of Rs 30 crore, would cover revenue, agriculture and irrigation departments besides the Andhra Pradesh State Remote Sensing Applications Centre (APSRAC), the release said.

HARITA would integrate information services in these departments by standardising data and help in effective decision-making and better planning of agriculture extension activities and irrigation, effective water management and work audit, the release said.
The APSRAC would develop Geographical Information System (GIS) maps for 12 major irrigation projects and the state's canal network.

Information Technology advisor to the AP government J Satyanarayana said that GIS mapping under HARITA would be area localised under each irrigation project, area irrigated under each source, as well as incorporate season-wise cropped area, production and productivity maps, the release said.
Mapping of disasters, ground water levels and quality would also be taken up.

The AP Chief Minister suggested that HARITA could be extended to banks and insurance companies (for data related to crop loans and insurance), marketing, taxation and planning, animal husbandry, fisheries, rural water supply and registrations and stamps (revenue) wings, the release said.