News: The Forest Survey of India recently stopped issuing deforestation alerts through the Anavaran-Deforestation Alert System, and the portal’s data have not been updated since November 2025.
About Anavaran Portal
- Anavaran Portal is a deforestation alert system that uses satellite data and machine learning to monitor forest cover loss and send alerts to states.
- Developed by: The portal has been developed and operated by the Forest Survey of India (FSI).
- Aim: The system aims to support near-real-time monitoring of forest cover loss using satellite-based information and digital tools.
- Objective: The main objective of the portal is to help the Forest Survey of India monitor deforestation and send alerts to states every 15 days so that targeted field inspections can be carried out.
- Key features:
- Operational cycle: Since its inception in January 2024, the portal sent alerts to state forest departments every 15 days to facilitate targeted field inspections.
- Technology used: The alert system is based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and uses Sentinel-2 satellite images as input data.
- High precision: The Forest Survey of India uses satellite imagery at 10–20 metre spatial resolution, including Sentinel-2B (optical), Sentinel-1 (SAR 5m), Sentinel-2 (visible and NIR 10m), RedEdge and SWIR 20m.
Other Similar Initiative
- Peru started using the Terra-I remote sensing deforestation monitoring system in 2014, which is funded by Global Forest Watch and uses satellite data to generate quarterly alerts later improved to monthly alerts.
