Agriculture Information : Monitoring of Agriculture Residue Burning Using Satellite

Agriculture residue burning is commonly practiced in the Indian in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal primarily to clear the waste after harvesting and for preparing the field for the next cropping cycle in a short time.

Agriculture residue burning is also a global concern and is widely studied scientifically with respect to the emissions into the atmosphere viz., aerosols, particulate matter and greenhouse gases (GHGs). These emissions alters the atmospheric physics and chemistry, thereby contributing to climate change.

Monitoring of residue burning using satellite data is possible and has the advantage of covering large areas in space and time. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership - Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (Suomi NPP - VIIRS) sensors are capable of detecting active fires at high confidence level and provide information on active fires 2-4 times a day/night.

Source:http://www.nrsc.gov.in/