CCEA nod for modernisation of Met Department

New Delhi, Dec 13 (UNI) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today gave its approval for implementation of the modernisation of observation and forecast facilities of India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The proposal will help improve the weather forecasting services in the country under Phase I of the programme at an estimated cost of Rs 920.00 crore in two years.

Information and Braodcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told newspersons here that this would help the IMD for establishment of end-to-end forecasting system with demonstrative hardware at an estimated cost of Rs 208 crore as a part of Phase I.

The modernisation of IMD Phase-I would help in: (i) Developing capability to manage, maintain and fulfill its mandate on a sustainable basis;(ii) Dissemination of forecast products at district level, particularly for use by the farming community and for better planning, disaster management and agro advisories; (iii) Getting more tailor made applications for different sectors like civil aviation, tourism, agriculture, power generation and hydrological purposes which will generate additional revenue;(iv) More accurate monitoring and warnings for severe weather events like thunderstorms, dust storms, heavy rainfall, gale winds, heat waves and cold waves;(v) and improving the monitoring of tropical cyclones and better prediction of their movement and rainfall.

UNI