Recently, the Forest Survey of India discontinued its Anavaran Deforestation Alert System, which was designed to monitor forest cover loss across the country.
About Anavaran Portal
The Anavaran Portal is a digital monitoring system that has been operational since January 2024. It was developed to track deforestation and forest cover loss using advanced technologies.
The system enabled the Forest Survey of India to issue location-specific alerts every 15 days to state authorities, allowing them to conduct targeted field inspections.
Technology Used in Anavaran System
The Anavaran alert system relied on advanced geospatial technologies:
-
It was built on the Google Earth Engine platform.
-
It used Sentinel-2 satellite imagery for high-resolution optical data.
-
To ensure monitoring during cloudy and monsoon seasons, it integrated Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data.
Forest Survey of India (FSI)
The Forest Survey of India is a premier national organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Establishment
It was established on June 1, 1981, succeeding the Preinvestment Survey of Forest Resources (PISFR), which was initiated in 1965 with support from FAO and UNDP.
Mandate
The FSI is responsible for:
-
Assessment and monitoring of forest resources in India
-
Conducting research, training, and extension activities
State of Forest Report
FSI has been publishing the State of Forest Report biennially since 1987. This report provides a comprehensive assessment of forest and tree cover using:
-
Remote sensing satellite data
-
National Forest Inventory (field data)
Conclusion
The discontinuation of the Anavaran system highlights the need for robust and continuous technological monitoring mechanisms to combat deforestation.