Eye in sky & on ground: CAQM to get verified data on burnt farms, Pg16

Key Highlights:

• The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is verifying satellite-mapped data of stubble-burnt farms to improve accuracy.
• Stubble burning contributes up to 35% of Delhi-NCR's emissions on some days in November 2024.
• The Supreme Court directed CAQM to enhance enforcement against stubble burning using satellite data.
• The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) and state agencies are involved in ground truthing to validate burnt area data.
• A standardized mapping protocol is expected to be operational by next winter.
• On Wednesday, Delhi's air quality was at 418 on the Central Pollution Control Board's index, with stubble burning contributing to 15.45% of PM2.5.

Detailed Insights:

• CAQM aims to address undercounting of stubble fires by improving burnt farm mapping with ground validation.
• Sentinel-2, an open-source satellite from the European Space Agency, captures high-resolution images to estimate burnt farm areas.
• The mapping exercise involves the NRSC, remote sensing centers in Punjab and Haryana, district authorities, and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
• Authorities are using an application developed by NRSC to feed verified data on burnt areas for better enforcement of environmental regulations.
• Standardized mapping will enable focused action on the ground, providing a clearer picture for enforcing laws and rules related to stubble burning.
• Optical, near-infrared, short-wave infrared 1, and short-wave infrared 2 images are used to detect burn scars on fields.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Stubble Burning: The practice of setting fire to crop residue after harvesting.
• Ground Truthing: Verifying data collected remotely (e.g., by satellites) with on-the-ground observation.
• PM2.5: Fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, a major air pollutant.