Why in the News
A Parliamentary Standing Committee recommended a dedicated geostationary satellite to monitor forest fires in the Himalayan region, noting India’s reliance on foreign satellites. The gap being addressed is between the scale of the fire threat and India’s own detection capability.
What did the committee recommend?
- Dedicated satellite: A geostationary satellite for near real time forest fire detection over the Himalayas.
- Institutional build out: National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) regional centres for faster response.
- Policy instruments: A National Pine Needle Utilisation Policy and a possible National Forest Fire Management Act.
Why is current detection inadequate?
- Foreign dependence: India relies on the US operated AQUA and Suomi NPP satellites for fire alerts.
- Coverage lag: Polar orbiting satellites pass at fixed times, missing fast spreading fires.
Why is the Himalayan region especially vulnerable?
- Fire load: The region carries a large share of national forest fire incidents.
- Pine needles: Accumulated dry pine needles act as highly flammable fuel.
What are the challenges to the proposal?
- Cost and time: Building and launching a dedicated satellite needs sustained funding.
- Ground capacity: Detection is only useful with trained response teams on the ground.
- Policy status: The recommendations are not yet enacted measures.
“[2019] For the measurement/estimation of which of the following are satellite images/remote sensing data used?
1. Chlorophyll content in the vegetation of a specific location
2. Greenhouse gas emissions from rice paddies of a specific location
3. Land surface temperatures of a specific location
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3