Forest department deploys tech to prevent wildfire

Mysuru: Every year during summer the forest department takes extracare to prevent wildfire. It even employs temporary workersto save thousands of wildlife and precious forest wealth fromfire.

However, these efforts prove ineffective. To address this daunting task, theNagarhole wildlifesanctuary officials are usingtech The department utilising weather forecast information provided by the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre (KSRSAC). Which gathersdata through satellites and uploads it on its website. It also sends SMS to forest officials in case of fire in the forest and high temperature areas. So, officials take an extracare in high temperature zones.

The department is also creating 'fire lines' beside forests to prevent flames from spreading from one place to another. Speaking to The HansIndia on Monday,Nagarhole project tiger director Mahesh Kumar said that thesanctuary has an area of 843 square km.

The department has employed 400 temporary fire watchers to keep round-the-clock watch from 31 towers besides deploying 11 private vehicles, seven jeeps mounted with water tankers, eightsprayers, 15 power saws and 11blowers. The department has sent a proposal to the Unionenvironment secretariat to provide helicopters to douse forest fire.

The department has two thermal drone cameras one of which can identify fire during night and another during the day.