China provides satellite data to assist India in flood relief

China has provided satellite data to assist India with its recent flood relief efforts, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Wednesday.

The CNSA launched the satellite emergency response plan early last Thursday, following the Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO) request for international disaster relief support last Wednesday night, under the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters, said the Chinese space agency.

The China Center for Resources Satellite Data and Application (CRESDA) scheduled three Chinese earth observation satellites, namely Gaofen-1, Gaofen-2 and Gaofen-3, to capture images of flood-stricken regions in India last Friday, last Saturday and on Wednesday, the CNSA said in a press release.

Chinese earth observation satellites Gaofen-3. [Photo: the website of China National Space Administration ]

The CRESDA also made a query for archived data and sent a total of 14 pre- and post-disaster satellite images to the ISRO, providing support in flood monitoring, said the CNSA.

The International Charter on Space and Major Disasters, designed to aid emergency and relief efforts, officially came into operation in 2000. The CNSA signed onto the charter in 2007 and so far have provided international relief with Chinese satellites for more than 30 countries and regions.

People cross a flooded street following incessant monsoon rainfall, at Aurai Block, on July 16, 2019, in Muzaffarpur, India. [Photo: VCG/Getty Editorial/Hindustan Times]

As of July 21, the death toll in India's flood-hit states had risen to 169. Lives of a total of 7.27 million people have been directly affected, as nearly 115,000 people who lost all their belongings in the floods have been rehabilitated in relief camps.