Indigenously built, first pair of weather radars installed over Himalayas

Indigenously built, first pair of weather radars installed over Himalayas

CONTEXT:

Union Minister for Earth Sciences Dr Harsh Vardhan Friday commissioned two of the ten indigenously built Doppler weather radars which will closely monitor the weather changes over the Himalayas.

NEWS IN DETAILS:

New Forecast System: A joint venture with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Union minister launched a Multi-Mission Meteorological Data Receiving and Processing System.

This new system will capture, process and make available for use satellite data within seven minutes as opposed to 20 minutes taken by earlier systems.

Located at: Services of X-band Doppler radars were virtually inaugurated on the 146th foundation day of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday at

Mukteshwar in Uttarakhand and
Kufri in Himachal Pradesh

Covering Regions: Covering the central and western Himalayas, these dual polarised radars will gather atmospheric variations and pick signals of extreme weather events.

Highly Prone Areas: Both Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are highly prone to

cloud bursts,
landslides,
heavy rain and
snowfall.

Advance plans and initiate rescue measures: Timely weather forecasts and warnings would ensure the governments make advance plans and initiate rescue measures, state officials said.

Weather and climate play a significant role in both agriculture and tourism — the two main sectors contributing towards the state’s economy.”

Strengthen IMD’s forecast: From just 13 radars in 2013, the country now has 29 radars operational. This will strengthen IMD’s forecasts further.”

Future agenda: The IMD must now utilise the latest digital technology and work towards developing mobile-friendly weather applications, especially in regional languages.