Coimbatore: The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation, jointly with city-based Cymatics, has conducted a thermal drone survey at Vellalore dump yard to detect temperature changes and help prevent fire incidents by identifying hotspots within the dump yard on a pilot basis.It has also developed a separate dashboard that provides visualisations, historical data, and animations of hotspot locations, complete with longitude and latitude coordinates.CEO of Cymatics L Gopinath said, “We initiated this programme following the massive fire in 2024 that lasted for at least 12 days. During the summer, we conduct surveys of the dump yard two to three times a week, depending on daytime temperatures. If temperatures rise, we increase monitoring to alternate days. The software we designed will also indicate whether a hotspot is a recurring location or a new one based on the historical data we’ve compiled. This survey provides a 90-95% accuracy rate for identified hotspots, verified against real-time thermal data at those specific locations.”“In some cases, when hotspots were detected by the drone, we discovered mild fires within the legacy waste when it was excavated. This proactive approach has allowed us to successfully avert smaller incidents during the summer,” he added.A major fire broke out at the dump yard on Sunday. With the smoke still active, over 100 workers had been deployed until it was completely put out. Officials said the blaze was less intense than the massive fire reported at the dump yard in 2024, allowing them to bring the situation under control relatively quickly.Despite continued high temperatures and a prolonged absence of rainfall attributed to the El Niño effect, the thermal drone monitoring system has not been deployed since June. The thermal drone was redeployed on Sunday to constantly monitor the change in temperatures and provide timely assistance.Officials said the lapse could have affected early detection of potential hotspots. The incident has once again highlighted the need for round-the-clock surveillance and preventive measures at the sprawling dump yard, particularly during prolonged dry spells.
