Science, Discovery, Tech and Environment · 4 September 2026
LiDAR Survey to Map Hidden Monuments at Lakkundi
Exam-focused facts from the 4 September 2026 current affairs briefing.
Key facts
- The Department of Archaeology Museums and Heritage (DAMH) will collaborate with the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) to conduct a LiDAR survey at Lakkundi.
- The survey will employ Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), GIS mapping, remote sensing, ground penetrating radar (GPR), drone documentation, and photogrammetry.
- The MoU for the survey was signed on August 27, 2026, and the outcome is expected within six months.
- The survey aims to locate monuments concealed by vegetation overgrowth and time in Lakkundi, a prominent urban centre between the 10th and 12th centuries CE.
- The initiative was first discussed with former ISRO chairman Kiran Kumar, and the project will help narrow excavation locations.
- Similar technology-based studies are proposed for the ancient sites of Nagavi and Rajghatta.