Forest fire

forest fire

NO FOREST = NO FUTURE

“Wildfires destroy more than trees; they devastate homes, habitats, and hopes.”

Wildfires contribute 20% of global carbon (CO₂) emissions, comparable to total CO₂ emissions from all transportation modes worldwide, including road, rail, air, and maritime. In 2022, a study revealed that 80% of global wildfires were human-induced, resulting in the loss of over 3 billion animals, financial damages exceeding $400 billion USD globally, and significant loss of human life.
According to a report published on July 1, 2024, Himachal Pradesh’s forest assets are valued at approximately 13.2 lakh crore, comprising rare and legally classified species within protected forest areas, as detailed in the table below for easy reference.

Rich Forest Cover

Beautiful Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is a picturesque, hilly state within the Union of India, situated in the Himalayan region. Renowned for its biodiversity and ecological richness, the state ranks seventh on the Human Development Index (HDI). Himachal Pradesh is home to a rich variety of vegetation and plant species, including a high diversity of medicinal and aromatic plants. The state spans 55.673 square kilometers, with a population of 6,864,602 (as of 2011). Forests cover 37,948 square kilometers, or 68% of the total area. Himachal Pradesh shares borders with the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to the north, Punjab to the west, Haryana to the southwest, and Uttarakhand to the south, along with an international boundary with Tibet, an autonomous region of China

Forest Fire Havoc in Himachal Pradesh

The highest number of 10,136 forest fires in the region during an eight-month period from November 2023 to June 2024, as
detected by the Forest Survey of India.

1,684 forest fires have occurred since April 15, 2024, marking the start of summer— A report from the Himachal
Pradesh Forest Department.

Damage of a total of 17,471 hectares of forest land, causing a significant loss to wildlife.

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) has been monitoring and issuing alerts for forest fires since
January 1, 2024.

Between June 5 and June 12, 2024, there were 747 VIIRS alerts specifically.

From 2001 to 2023, Himachal Pradesh lost 957 hectares of tree cover to fires and 437,000 hectares (4.37 thousand).
Hectare from other drivers of loss. During this period, forest fires accounted for 18% of the total tree cover loss in the
state.

Forest Fires in the Himalayan Region

• Fires in the Himalayan region typically occur in the pre-monsoon summer period, when moisture stress is intensified by

global warming and reduced snowmelt.

• These low-moisture pre-monsoon conditions and rainstorm patterns play a critical role in the intensity of forest fires, as lower moisture levels lead to greater fire impact.

• These fires are also a significant source of pollutants, including black carbon, which contributes to Himalayan glacier melting and negatively impacts the regional climate.

No Forests: No Future

Forests play a crucial role in absorbing carbon dioxide, regulating weather patterns, and providing habitat for diverse flora and fauna-all vital for the planet’s health. If left unchecked, this deforestation, coupled with wildfires, could irreversibly disrupt the global ecosystem.

What’s Important & Critical ?

Time, Technology & Speedy Response

60 Minute Criticality

In light of the significant damage to Himachal Pradesh’s forestry in 2024, there is a critical need for ultra-rapid detection of forest fires not later than 60 minutes of initial ignition, aiming to contain them before they escalate into uncontrollable wildfires in 3 to 5 hours and become fully unmanageable after 6 hours.

Current Tools Not Sufficient

<divCurrent optical tools, which are being used, like satellites, cameras, drones, etc., that provide visuals and locations of active fires are slow, and the total time to convert this data into actionable information is large.

What we Need

Our lives and valuable resources are too important. We need to act fast to safeguard and protect them. Therefore, it’s imperative to deploy customized sensors in valuable and vulnerable forests for ultra-rapid detection of fire and report incidents within 60 minutes.

Our Solution

Coverage, Reliability, Scalability & Security

AloT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) Solutions

Artificial Intelligence of Things (AloT) is the combination of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and the Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure. Its goal is to create human-machine interactions and enhance data management and analytics. We propose to empower governments, institutions, and societies through Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, utilizing customized sensors, AI tools, and wireless technology for monitoring immovable assets such as forests to enable early detection of fires, illegal deforestation, and mining activities. This project would utilize license-free sensors and LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network) for long-range, low-power wireless connectivity, transforming even the most passive components of city operations.

Our Fire Fighting Approach

We follow a detailed, simplistic technological approach starting from surveys, interactions, and data analysis to find out the final solution to the problem. This will enable early fire detection, significantly reducing firefighting costs and helping protect humans and wildlife.

How it works

The tree is equipped with a smoke detector [S] embedded with LoRaWAN chipsets of specified area.

Each LoRaWAN chip communicates with one or more gateway devices using the LoRaWAN physical layer, which will be a common platform for various applications.

These gateways then relay messages between the end devices and a network server via TCP/IP networking.

Gateways are designed to provide full coverage and zone identification.

The network server centrally manages all connected devices across multiple gateways.

Data from the network server is forwarded to an application server, where it undergoes processing for analytical purposes and integration with other systems.

The application server can be accessed securely via the HTTPS protocol from any handy device, such as a mobile phone, laptop, or desktop.

Expanding Beyond Boundaries: The Global Coverage

To start with a proposed pilot project for Shimla Town & Pine Intensive forest area in the adjoining Solan District of Himachal Pradesh as “a premise “

Stage 1: Minimum Viable Solution (MVS):

Establishment of Minimum Viable Solution (MVS) in an area spanning 2 square kilometres.

This phase will involve deploying 10 sensors specifically designed for forest environments.

Additionally, we plan to install 3 gateways to ensure robust connectivity across the area.

This stage is crucial for testing the feasibility and functionality of our sensor network in the geographic setting of Shimla.

Stage 2 – The Pilot phase

The Pilot phase will expand to the Shimla city covering 40 square kilometres (urban) area.

Here, we will increase the number of gateways to 40+ to enhance coverage & connectivity.

Execution Strategy & Deployment

The successful execution of a LoRaWAN solution in Shimla will serve as a model for future expansions in the state, the contry and then the whole world. This strategy focuses on local management, robust infrastructure, and scalability ensuring a sustainable and impactful loT ecosystem with a step-by step approach.

Rs. 12 Crore

Time Deadline – 6 Months

Rs. 125 Crore

Time Deadline – 3 Years

End of December 2027

Deployment Stages

Stage 1: Minimum Viable Solution (MVS)

Coverage: 2 sq. km with 10 forest sensors and 3 gateways.
Focus: Testing hardware capabilities in a Shimla school (10 students) and forest areas.
.

Stage 2: Pilot Phase

Coverage: 40 sq. km (Shimla city) with 40+ gateways.
Focus: Supporting 8 schools (~10,000 students), Shimla forest division, and Solan pine forests.
Goal: Scalability and reliability for broader deployment.