SATELLITES TO DETECT FOREST FIRES

Satellites will come in handy to check forest fires as the forest department is now equipped with near real time forest fire

detecting mechanisms. The National Remote Sensing Centre in the city sends hourly alerts regarding forest fires to the forest department based on satellite inputs, following which the department takes measures to minimise the damage. Sources said that so far this year, around 2,021 forest fires have been reported in the state most of which have been caused deliberately by miscreants for encroaching land and

for collecting beedi leaves. H.C. Mishra, a senior IFS offi

cial and additional principal chief conservator of forests (IT)

of AP forest department, said, “We are getting alerts on forest

fires as satellites detect the fires. We get the alerts through

NRSC and immediately alert field staff to take measures to

prevent the spread of fires.” Moderate Resolution Imaging

Spectroradiometer satellite images of Nasa tracks ground fires or surface fires. The areas most severely affected by for

est fires in the state are Khammam, Visakhapatnam, Warangal and Rajahmundry circles and parts of the Srisailam Project Tiger area. The state forest department controls 63,814 sq. km of forest land.