Now Reading: Goa forest dept prepares advisory, early warning system for fire threat
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Goa forest dept prepares advisory, early warning system for fire threat
Goa forest dept prepares advisory, early warning system for fire threat
The Story in Brief
With maximum temperatures in Goa touching 37°C in October and a potentially challenging dry season ahead, the forest department is preparing to issue an advisory on forest fire risks, while scientists work on an early warning system to identify vulnerable areas.
Conservator of forests Navin Kumar said the department is assessing conditions and will engage with the public by mid-November. An early warning system, being developed by a team led by climate scientist Rajiv Kumar Chaturvedi of BITS Pilani's Goa campus, will use meteorological parameters such as humidity to estimate fire risk. It is expected to begin issuing alerts from December for locations with adequate observation infrastructure, including wildlife sanctuaries.
The system currently has six observation sites, including one set up with ISRO. Chaturvedi noted that with about 67% forest and tree cover in Goa, the network is insufficient for comprehensive monitoring. The system will also forecast the likely direction of fire spread using wind speed and direction.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The early warning system covers only six observation sites against Goa's 67% forest cover, leaving most of the state unmonitored. That gap means the alerts, due from December, will be limited to sanctuaries and protected areas where infrastructure already exists. The bigger concern is the expected El Nino phase between December and February, which the forest department itself flags as a complicating factor. If the system cannot expand its observation network before then, ground teams may have to rely on scattered post-monsoon rainfall reports for the rest of the landscape. The advisory due in mid-November will be the first public signal of how seriously the department rates the risk.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
