Mosquitoes are responsible for many bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases. They create a menace during the summer and monsoon months. To tackle the situation, an Indian space startup has redesigned advanced spy and satellite technology to identify the mosquito breeding grounds.
Sisir Radar is a Kolkata-based space technology startup utilizing cutting-edge hyperspectral imaging technology to detect mosquito breeding grounds.
Mosquitoes are distinguished for breeding in water; they often avoid being identified by conventional satellite and drone services.
However, this advanced technology detects if water containers and bodies of water contain mosquito larvae or not. To identify the breeding grounds, they furnished custom-made cameras on drones.
Sisir Radar expressed that during their experiment process, first they placed clean and larvae-infested water in earthen and transparent plastic tumblers, and they imaged utilizing their drone-furnished hyper-spectral imager from a height of 15 meters, which is equivalent to the height of a five-story block in Kolkata. They also said that they believe that this research will go a long way in precisely identifying sources of mosquito larvae in water and that insecticides can be sprayed in a measured manner.
Tapan Mishra, father of India's spy satellite, former director of ISRO’s Space Application Centre, and also the founder of Sisir Radar, said that the present method of insecticide spraying is done arbitrarily and that our bodies and aquatic life forms are poisoned unnecessarily. Their research would help in not only eradicating the menace of mosquitoes at the larvae stage itself, ameliorating the environment, but also lowering the pointless malaria and dengue deaths very notably. He also said that it is to be noted that globally, 250 million people are afflicted with mosquito-borne diseases in 85 countries. Out of this humongous number of afflicted patients, around 600,000 die needlessly.
Tapan Mishra had an immense command of synthetic aperture radar imaging. In 2018, he was shifted to a senior advisor position from his position as director of space applications. He started Sisir Radar after retiring from ISRO. His life motto "Capturing the Invisible" is now expanded to aid the health of the public and the conservation of the environment. This high-end hyperspectral imaging technology helps detect mosquito breeding grounds and reduce the menace of mosquitoes.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Lavanya Beeraboina/SB)