After SC asks Centre to procure farm fire data from geostationary satellites, Isro to develop new algorithms

On Monday, the Supreme Court was informed that determination could beryllium an undercount successful the information connected workplace fires collected done the polar-orbiting Nasa satellite. A elder Nasa scientist’s caller assertion connected X that farmers are evading outer detection owed to its constricted capableness to seizure workplace occurrence events betwixt 10.30 americium and 1.30 p.m. was brought to the attraction of the apex body. The apex tribunal was besides informed that information from GEO-KOMPSAT 2A, the geostationary Korean satellite, had picked up fires aft Nasa’s polar-orbiting had passed, raising questions implicit the number of workplace fires.

In its missive to CAQM, Isro has said the Supreme Court’s concerns are valid, and that efforts are connected to get an close estimate. The contamination power and monitoring assemblage has submitted Isro’s effect successful the affidavit it submitted to the Supreme Court.

Speaking astir the antithetic satellites disposable successful the day oregon evening, the affidavit said INSAT-3DR, Geo-Kompsat 2-AMI, Meteosat-9, Feng Yun-4A/4B, HIMAWARI-8 from India, South Korea, European Union, China and Japan, respectively, are inadequate to springiness an close farm fire count.

Government agencies, including the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) and assorted authorities distant sensing centres, astatine present, usage information from the Nasa satellites Suomi NPP, Terra MODIS, and Aqua MODIS.

However, Isro said utilizing information from the disposable satellites is inactive insufficient. Coarse-resolution, the request for the improvement of circumstantial algorithms to process the earthy data, deficiency of validation implicit India, and deficiency of valuation of the accuracy of the information and its investigation were cited arsenic as reasons by the abstraction bureau for its reluctance to usage the satellites’ data.

“Data processing and occurrence detection algorithms for overseas geostationary outer information are developed by respective agencies and are not validated implicit India…The progressive occurrence products from existent geostationary platforms are sub-optimal for operational usage for harvest occurrence monitoring implicit Punjab and Haryana regions,” said Isro.

It said INSAT-3DR, the Indian outer with a 30-minute reflection frequency, cannot beryllium utilized to accurately observe workplace occurrence counts yet, due to the fact that the images generated by it are of coarser solution compared to Aqua MODIS. The fig of fires, hence, detected utilizing this outer is acold less, particularly successful Punjab and Haryana. Isro said it whitethorn upgrade the occurrence algorithms of the latest INSAT-3DS wrong six weeks.

The abstraction bureau has said it volition implicit the information valuation of Meteosat-9 and GK2 satellites successful a month, and that it is yet to measure the usability of information acceptable from different 2 sets of satellites (GK-2 and FY-2G/2H satellites) implicit the Indian region.

“In-house improvement of algorithms for analysing the outer information from overseas satellites for occurrence products procreation and validation implicit Area of Interest requires sizeable efforts. However, ISRO volition proceed to enactment connected it,” the abstraction bureau said.