Bhuvan This Week

The CARTO-1 (Color) module of the Bhuvan Data Hub provides access to high-resolution satellite imagery from India's Cartosat-1 Earth Observation mission. The module enables users to visualise India-wide mosaics generated from Cartosat-1 data at 2.5 m spatial resolution, providing detailed views of the country's landscape and built-up areas.

Currently, India mosaics are available for 2016 and 2010–2009, providing an opportunity to explore and compare changes in the landscape over time. The high spatial resolution of Cartosat-1 imagery makes the dataset useful for applications such as urban and infrastructure development, terrain and landscape assessment, environmental monitoring, and historical change analysis.

A key feature of the module is its interactive temporal comparison capability. Users can select two or more image datasets and compare them using either Swipe Mode or Step Mode. Swipe Mode allows users to interactively move a divider across the map to reveal corresponding areas in different years, while Step Mode enables sequential viewing of the selected datasets. These intuitive visualisation tools facilitate rapid identification and interpretation of changes between different time periods.

The CARTO-1 (Color) module demonstrates the value of India's archived Earth Observation data in understanding the evolution of the country's landscape and provides researchers, planners, government agencies, academia, and geospatial professionals with an interactive platform for historical satellite image analysis.