Date:09/11/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/11/09/stories/2009110950570200.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Map reading can be fun too!

Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD: NTR Gardens was abuzz with activity. Children, dressed in their school uniforms were on their toes. Like commandoes in a search and rescue mission they went about hunting down the landmarks asked for in a Google Earth image of the park.

Meanwhile, another group of children, seated under the shade of a tree, were busy strategising relief operations in the flood-ravaged Kurnool district. They had much to plan: locate headquarters and medical camp (s) nearest to the affected areas, identify motorable and alternative routes and arrange motorboats, rations and relief material from district headquarters or any other place(s). A daunting task at hand, they carefully scanned the map hung to a tree and jotted down the answers on a sheet of paper while watching out for flood-affected regions and avoiding straying near tributaries of Krishna River.

Seven hundred students from 50 schools participated in the finals of the 19th edition of GeoMap Quiz organised by GeoMap Society (GEMS) here on Saturday.