India News | SC Asks Centre, CAQM to Procure Data on Farm Fires from Geo-stationary Satellites

New Delhi, Nov 18 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Centre and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to procure data from geostationary satellites on farm fire instances instead of from NASA polar-orbiting satellites.

The data of farm fires throughout the day can thus be made available to the state to enable them to take immediate action, it directed.

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A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih noted that ISRO is taking data from NASA satellites which pass over the NCR region around 10.30 am to 1.30 pm daily and the instances of farm fires which are captured by satellite are only for this limited period.

The bench said senior advocate Aprajita Singh, who has been appointed as amicus curiae, pointed out that a Korean satellite, which is a stationary one, has captured data of farm fires at 4.20 pm.

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It said that the amicus has pointed out that there may be a difference between the data of farm fires which may be collected through stationary satellites and the one which comes from polar-orbiting satellites like those of NASA which are relied on by the ISRO.

“Therefore, we direct the Union of India and the (CAQM) commission to make immediate arrangements to take data either from the Korean stationary satellite or any other stationary satellite, so that data of farm fires throughout the day can be made available to the state to enable them to take immediate action,” it directed.

The bench further said that the Commission and the Centre will also involve ISRO in taking this step.

“The ultimate object should be to show that all instances of farm fire burning throughout the day are reported to the concerned states, so that prompt action be taken.

"Compliance on this aspect shall be reported by this Friday,” the bench directed and added that the Centre and the CAQM will procure data from stationary satellites from October 1, 2024.

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