National doppler radar network to tackle urban flooding

Kochi, Jul 25 (UNI) The Indian Meteorology Department (IMD) will set up a national network of doppler weather radars to forecast high intensity rainfall, helping city authorities to tackle increasing incidence of urban flooding, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Member Shridhar Reddy said today.

Talking to newspersons here, Mr Reddy said the union cabinet had recently approved Rs 800 crore for the project, which would see a network of 55 doppler weather radars being set up all over the country, particularly in urban areas, in the next three to five years.

Each radar, costing about Rs 16 crore, would have a radius of 200 to 250 sq. km and would be able to warn of impending high intensity rainfall three to five hours in advance.

At present, the country had only five such radars on the east coast to warn of cyclones.

Stating that rising temperatures were leading to increased rainfall in urban areas, Mr Reddy said inadequate storm water drainage and encroachments on natural streams and rivers was adding to the problem of urban floods.

Cities ranging from Mumbai and Surat to Kolkata and Jamshedpur had witnessed floods in recent years. With cities being the hubs of commercial and industrial activity, urban floods led to huge losses.

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