Following the recent earthquake that struck India and Pakistan, resulting in tens of thousands of fatalities, the Indian government has decided to launch a dedicated satellite to monitor natural disasters.
According to G Madhavan Nair, the head of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the government plans to launch the new satellite in the coming years.
Nair emphasized that most disasters are related to climate or weather, such as tornadoes or floods, which is why India needs to monitor through cloud formations. Images from the satellite’s radar are crucial, and India hopes these satellites will be operational within the next few years.
Since 1988, India has launched 10 remote sensing satellites, in addition to telecommunications satellites. A satellite launched this year can map every building and street in this small continental country.
The CARTOSAT-1 satellite will assist in planning urban and rural areas, managing land and water resources, and enhancing environmental monitoring efforts.
Experts indicate that 56 million Indians are affected by natural disasters each year, yet there is currently no established policy for responding to and managing these natural and human-made disasters.
A recent report states that, on average, natural disasters claim 5,063 lives annually in India, impacting over 56 million people and causing approximately $1.88 billion in damages. Flooding affects 11.2% of arable land, while droughts impact 28% of cultivated areas.
More than half of the arable land in the country is at risk from earthquakes, and 7,516 kilometers of coastline are threatened by storms and tornadoes, particularly in the regions of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
Space Daily