ISRO to launch satellites to monitor forest fires

ISRO has announced that it will make a detailed study of green house gases and forest fires for with funds from the union ministry of environment and forests. This will be the first effort from the ISRO to conduct such a study.

Former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan said the study, which is under designing stage will be implemented in two to three years. According to him, the 50-metre geosynchronous altitude-imaging mission would be one of the first to monitor forest fires, vegetation and flooding.

The space organisation plans launch of dedicated satellites for the study of greenhouse gas emissions and forest fires.

Kasturirangan was at an event in Chennai yesterday that saw the signing of an MoU between the environment and forest ministry and Anna University for setting up of a national centre for sustainable coastal zone management.

''The satellite is in design stage and environment ministry will fund the project,'' he said. ''The United States and Japan have already put such satellites.''
''There is hope that forest fires can be detected since 50 metres is a fairly good resolution,'' he said.

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh in his message said the Survey of India had been asked to delineate a hazard line along 7,500 kilometres of Indian coastline. ''The ministry will allot Rs200 crore for the project which is expected to be completed in two years,'' he said.