Context:
Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda recently unveiled a Krishi Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC).
Background
- ICCC, housed within the Ministry of Agriculture involves multiple IT applications and platforms to aid in decision-making with the help of advanced technology.
- It utilises artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to gather and process vast amounts of data on parameters such as temperature, rainfall, wind speed, crop yields, and production estimates.
- ICCC centre displays Comprehensive data on crop yields, production, drought conditions, and cropping patterns on screens.
- This information is presented in map, timeline, and drill-down formats, allowing for thorough analysis and informed decision.
- Additionally, people can observe trends, both periodic and non-periodic, outliers, and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), along with receiving insights, alerts, and feedback on agricultural initiatives.
- It also utilises platforms like the Krishi Decision Support System (DSS) to offer macro view.
- Moreover, it provides a contact centre and helpdesk facility which enables farmer beneficiaries to engage directly with officials through video conference.
Significance
- ICCC will facilitate comprehensive monitoring of the agricultural sector by consolidating geospatial information from various sources (IMD,digital crop survey etc)
- By visualising this amalgamated data ICCC streamlines decision-making processes which ensure efficiency and promptness.
- Furthermore, the ICCC ecosystem has the potential to be interconnected with the PM-Kisan chatbot in the future that enhances its functionality and reach.
- ICCC also has the capability to establish an ecosystem that enables the generation of personalised farmer-level advisories.
Way forward
- ICCC is a substantial step forward in utilising technology to improve agricultural practices.
- It needs to emphasise effective implementation and coordination as originally planned.