Shimla, June 8 : Forest guards in Himachal Pradesh are being imparted training under Global Positioning System (GPS).

Over forty forest guards are being trained by the Forest Department on how to use GPS at a workshop in Shimla.

First phase of this training was started in Nogli and Rampur districts of Shimla. The second and third phase of the training will be organized in Solan and Sundernagar Mandi district.

S. S. Negi, chief conservator forests, Himachal Pradesh, said that the main purpose of using the system was to plan the movements of forest guards well in advance.

Ashok Negi, a Forest officer said that because of GPS it would be easier to put in place a better guarding system.

"GPS is such a method by using which we can trace the movements of the forest guards in the forest. We can also know where the forest guard went, how deep inside the forest etc. Did he actually go or not? When we actually download the data in our software we will come to know if he was speaking the truth or not," he added.

GPS is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) developed by the United States Department of Defence and managed by the United States Air Force 50th Space Wing.

It is the only fully functional GNSS in the world and can be used freely by anyone, anywhere, and is often used by civilians for navigation purposes. (ANI)