Maharashtra govt to start using satellite images to assess crop damage and compensation

Mumbai, Apr 27 (PTI) The Maharashtra government has decided to use satellite imagery and Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) standards, instead of traditional on-field surveys, to assess crop damage and provide assistance to farmers, a senior official said.

The technology-driven assessment will, however, not cover droughts.

NDVI measures how healthy or stressed vegetation is by analysing plants' reflection or absorption of specific wavelengths of light.

Satellite sensors measure this reflected light, enabling accurate analysis of crops' condition, a senior agriculture department official explained to PTI.

"Except for droughts, from now onwards, aid for crop damage due to natural disasters will be provided based on satellite images and NDVI parameters, instead of traditional on-field surveys.

"This technology will also be utilised for crop insurance purposes, enabling accurate assessments of crop losses and damage to vegetation due to natural calamities," the official said on Sunday.

Initially, a study group had recommended implementing this system on a pilot basis in one district. However, the government has decided to roll it out across the entire state in one phase.

The official said the opposition by some ministers delayed the scheduled January 1, 2025, rollout of the new system.

"Finally, after a delay of three months, the decision has been taken, and assistance to farmers will now be technology-based," he added.

The NDVI is a numerical indicator, ranging from -1 to +1, that assesses the presence and health of green vegetation.

Values close to 1 indicate high vegetation density and health, while values closer to 0 or negative represent non-vegetated surfaces like bare soil, water, or snow.

Currently, Madhya Pradesh uses the NDVI method to assess agricultural damages, and a study group formed to examine their procedures has already submitted its report.

According to the official, the study group recommended that during the Kharif 2025-26 season, NDVI and other indices such as Normalised Difference Water Index (NDWI), Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), and Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) be applied in selected districts across Marathwada, Vidarbha, Western Maharashtra, and north Maharashtra.

In a meeting chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue Department in December 2024, approval was granted for using satellite imagery to evaluate crop damage through NDVI analysis.

Furthermore, the Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Agricultural University in Parbhani and the All-India Coordinated Research Project on Agrometeorology were commissioned to assist with the project. An expenditure of Rs 1 crore has been sanctioned for this initiative.

"Under this project, satellite images will be captured every seven days to monitor the conditions of cultivated areas across Maharashtra," the senior official explained.

A retired agriculture officer said on condition of anonymity that some MLAs or local representatives pressure government officials to inflate crop damage figures so that a higher compensation amount can be claimed.

"This leads to the government spending a higher amount on crop damage. The NDVI data is expected to be used to put a check on such practice," he added.

On February 24, 2024, the government adopted NDVI as an additional standard for determining crop losses caused by natural disasters, excluding droughts.

Although discussions had been ongoing since 2022, it was after the formation of the Shinde government and subsequent repeated rain-related damages that a committee was formed to finalise the parameters.

The committee recommended that assistance be based primarily on NDVI readings.

As per the guidelines, a preliminary alert is triggered if rainfall exceeds 50 per cent of the average over five consecutive days, with a minimum of 10 mm each day. Subsequently, if the NDVI reading in the affected area falls to 0.5 or below between July 15 and October 15, a secondary alert is raised, confirming significant crop damage.

"NDVI measures how healthy or stressed vegetation is by analysing how plants reflect or absorb specific wavelengths of light. Satellite sensors measure this reflected light, making it possible to assess crops' condition accurately," the official said. PTI ND NSK

Source: PTI