"The ISRO will send automated messages to the deputy conservator of forests/range officers about forest fires. This would help controlling the fire effectively," Chief Conservator of Forests (Communication & Information) M N Jayakumar said.

The tie-up with ISRO will also enable the forest department to enable the space agency's EDUSAT facilities for distant learning, he said.

The department is also taking steps to establish an independent and exclusive forest data centre.

The department plans to procure 630 desktops, 75 laptops, 3,500 personal digital Assistants, besides establishing an IT cell here and LAN connectivity across the department, Jayakumar said.

There was also a move for centralisation of maps and setting up a location-based monitoring system, as also creation of web-based work flows for management/monitoring and launching a portal to provide information on the internet.

"We also want to establish video/web conferencing facilities at every circle headquarters and linking the forest department headquarters to every circle headquarters and all training institutes," Jayakumar said.