To plug gaps in farm fires ‘undercount’, govt agencies fine-tuning ‘burnt area’ mapping

Context: To plug gaps in farm fires data, government agencies,
including Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) and National remote
sensing centre (NRSC), are working to develop a methodology to fine-tune and
standardise mapping of “stubble burnt areas”. The agencies are using European
Sentinal-2 satellite for the surveillance, which provide optical images,
near-infrared images and short-wave infrared 1 & 2 images, helping in
mapping burn scars on fields. On January, CAQM formed a committee was formed
under NRSC to standardize a protocol for mapping areas burnt by paddy stubble
fire.

Key points

·      
Farm Fires: Farm fires usually refer to deliberate fires set on
agricultural fields, primarily after the harvest season to clear crop residue,
particularly in regions practicing stubble burning. These fires often involve
burning leftover straw, stubble, or crop residues to prepare fields for the
next planting season quickly. However, farm fires can also occur accidentally
due to machinery malfunctions or other unintended causes.

·      
Indian
Agricultural Research Institute’s (IARI): It is a Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and
Modeling from Space (CREAMS) Laboratory issues a daily report on paddy residue
fires.

Background - It was set up in 2013, with the primary purpose of monitoring crop
conditions against extreme climatic events.

·      
Data
Collection Through Satellites: Three
sensors aboard three different NASA satellites: one called Visible Infrared
Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the Suomi NPP satellite, and two called
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), aboard the Terra and
Aqua satellites, collect this data by recording land surface temperatures. In
the past five years, the lab has used a different satellite set to map burned
areas. Sentinel-2 satellites, part of the European Space Agency, serve this
purpose.

·      
Monitoring
Protocol: IARI acquires satellite data
from its ground station and the National Remote Sensing Centre, ensuring
year-round monitoring of farm fires across the country. Prior to 2021, varied
methodologies led to discrepancies in recorded farm fire events across
different monitoring centres.

·      
Identifying
Paddy Fires: Identifying paddy fires
involves distinguishing them from forest fires or those originating from
industries. Satellites determine active paddy fires by detecting an increase in
land surface temperature above specific thresholds, distinguishing fire events
from surroundings.

·      
Limitations
and Challenges: Weather
Influence - Climatic conditions, particularly cloud cover and water vapor,
can obstruct satellite sensors, hindering accurate readings and data
acquisition.

Seasonal and Time-of-Day Variability - Changes in seasons and discrepancies between day and
night conditions affect the effectiveness of fire detection thresholds,
creating hurdles for consistent monitoring.

·      
Conclusion: Understanding the complexities and limitations of
data collection is crucial in devising effective strategies to address farm
fires and mitigate their impact on environmental and public health concerns.
Continual advancements in technology and methodology remain integral to
refining monitoring approaches for better insights and proactive interventions.