'Cyclone man' Mrutyunjay Mohapatra is the new IMD chief

New Delhi, Aug 02: Renowned scientist Mrutyunjaya Mohapatra, who is fondly addressed as 'Cyclone Master' and 'weather man' officially took charge as the charges of Director General of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday. Mohapatra, who is Scientist 'G' in the IMD, has been appointed as Director General of Meteorology, IMD for a period of five years.

Mohapatra, 54, replaced K.J. Ramesh, who headed the India Meteorological Department (IMD) since 2016.

Mohapatra hails from the village Rajgurpur in Bhadrakh district. He completed his matriculation from Aparti Charan High School, Ghanteswar and graduation from Bhadrakh College. He has also been elected to Executive Council of World Meterogical Organization at Geneva this year. Government of India has nominated Mohapatra as permanent member to World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) from India.

IMD had earned praise from the United Nations for forecasting the severity of Fani and its approach in issuing alerts in the run up to the event in May, which helped the government ensure adequate preparedness.

Prior to joining the IMD, Mohapatra was working at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory in Chandipur, Balasore.

Mohapatra has also led the team that provided early warning for cyclones Phailin, Hudhud, Vardah, Titli, Sagar, Mekunu and Fani. This made him popular as the 'Cyclone Man of India'.

The IMD is responsible for weather and climate related forecasts for the country. It is also mandated to warn against severe weather phenomenon like cyclones, dust storms, heavy rain and snow, cold and heatwaves, among others.