ISRO's improved fire-detection algo ready for test in rabi harvest season, Pg7

Key Highlights:

• ISRO will test a modified algorithm to improve farm fire detection during the upcoming wheat harvesting (rabi) season.
• CAQM reported discrepancies between satellite-detected burnt areas and actual ground conditions in 2025.
• During the wheat harvesting season (April 1 to May 31) last year, 10,207 fire events were recorded in Punjab, 1,832 in Haryana, and 259 in NCR districts of Uttar Pradesh.
• CAQM has directed Punjab and Haryana to monitor wheat residue burning at the ground level for the first time starting December 1, 2025.
• Peak burning time has shifted from around 1:30 pm in 2020 to approximately 5 pm by 2024, potentially causing underreporting.
• On February 13, 2026, CAQM mandated strict implementation of State-specific Action Plans to prevent wheat stubble-burning.

Detailed Insights:

• Existing satellite-based fire counts may not accurately reflect the number and extent of farm fires, leading to the fine-tuning of ISRO's detection algorithm.
• The pilot testing during the wheat harvest will evaluate if the tweaked algorithm provides a more accurate picture of the scale and timing of stubble-burning.
• The burning of kharif paddy stubble significantly worsens seasonal air pollution over Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi-NCR during winter.
• CAQM will extend its farm fire vigil to the rabi wheat harvesting season, as the burning of wheat stubble is monitored under the standard protocol developed by ISRO and IARI.
• CAQM has expressed concern over both detected and undetected burning, seeking detailed reports on fire locations that satellites may have failed to detect.
• Government-reported fire data are based on observations from satellites like NASA's Terra and Aqua MODIS and NOAA's Suomi-NPP VIIRS.
• CAQM informed the Supreme Court that ISRO would develop in-house algorithms to analyze satellite data more accurately.
• Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh are directed to map each farm for wheat stubble management and tag nodal officers to clusters of farmers for closer monitoring.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Rabi Crop: Crops sown in winter and harvested in the spring.
• Kharif Crop: Crops sown in monsoon and harvested in the autumn.
• Stubble Burning: The practice of setting fire to crop residue after harvesting.
• CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management): A statutory body responsible for air quality management in the National Capital Region and adjoining areas.