The documentation aims to preserve historic survey sites and assist future modern surveying activities using geo-coordinates.
The Tamil Nadu government has published five volumes documenting the Great Trigonometrical Survey (GTS) stations across the state, according to The Hindu. The Department of Survey and Settlement and the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) jointly conducted the field surveys to identify and map these locations.
The Great Trigonometrical Survey was launched by Colonel William Lambton at St. Thomas Mount in Chennai on April 10, 1802, during British rule. Using theodolite instruments, the survey continued for 70 years until 1871 and established stations across India, including several in Tamil Nadu.
The stations are currently under the jurisdiction of the Survey of India. The state government granted permission for an exercise to identify, map, document, and preserve the stations, while also aiming to facilitate modern surveying through their geo-coordinates.
The Director of Survey and Settlement has distributed the five volumes, titled ‘Documentation of the Great Trigonometrical Survey Stations (GTS) in Tamil Nadu’, to District Collectors and district-level officials of the Survey Department.
The initiative seeks to ensure the preservation of the stations in various districts. The government intends to use the documentation at the district level to protect the sites and retain their survey value.
