Chhattisgarh Karnataka get 1st IMD Doppler radars under Mission Mausam

    New Delhi, Nov 27 (PTI) Chhattisgarh and Karnataka received their first IMD Doppler weather radars on Thursday, expanding India's severe weather-monitoring network under Mission Mausam.
    The new radars installed in Raipur and Mangaluru will provide advanced tracking of heavy rain, thunderstorms, lightning, hailstorms, squalls, turbulence and other severe weather systems across central and coastal regions.
    The Dual Polarised C-Band radar at the Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya in Raipur is the first IMD radar in Chhattisgarh.
    With a 250-km radial coverage, it will monitor monsoon depressions, low-pressure systems and intense weather events across Chhattisgarh, interior Odisha, eastern Madhya Pradesh, southwest Jharkhand and southern parts of East Uttar Pradesh, filling a longstanding data gap.
    The radar installed at the IMD's RS/RW Office in Shakthi Nagar, Mangaluru, is Karnataka's first IMD radar.
    Also with a 250-km range, it will track severe weather over the Arabian Sea adjoining Karnataka and land regions of Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, South Konkan, northern Lakshadweep and South Maharashtra.
    Both systems have been indigenously developed under the Make in India initiative.
    Union Minister of State for Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh inaugurated the two radars, along with a 771-kWp solar power system at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) headquarters and a new meteorological museum designed for students and young learners.
    Singh said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visionary leadership, the IMD is rapidly implementing Mission Mausam.
    "We had committed to expand the radar count from 47 to almost three times by 2027, but I am happy to share that within just a few months, we have already reached 126 radars. We still have two years to go and I am confident that we will not only meet but comfortably achieve the target well within the timeline," a statement quoted him as saying.
    As weather patterns grow more unpredictable due to the climate crisis, India's Mission Mausam aims to improve weather understanding and forecasting through expanded observation networks, better modelling and advanced tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
    The minister emphasised that Doppler weather radars are among the most-visible and impactful components of the weather infrastructure and noted that weather radars do not recognise administrative boundaries.
    A radar located in one state, he said, "must be understood as a regional asset designed to protect lives and property across its entire coverage span".
    Singh also inaugurated the new Meteorological Museum showcasing the IMD's 150-year journey, historic instruments, upper-air systems, communication tools and radar and satellite components.
    He encouraged the IMD to organise structured educational tours, calling the museum a "journey down a century of scientific evolution".
    On the solar installation at the Mausam Bhawan, the minister said it supports national goals under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana and contributes to India's net-zero commitments.
    He said the power generated is expected to exceed the IMD's needs and "can be fed back to the grid, enabling both environmental and economic gains".
    Earth Sciences Secretary M Ravichandran said the IMD has achieved more than 50 per cent radar coverage and is planning additional systems, including urban radars in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata and advanced phased-array radars in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
    IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra underlined the department's commitment to strengthening observational, modelling, forecasting and learning systems.
    Earlier in the day, Singh chaired a high-level review meeting to assess the progress of procurement and installation under Mission Mausam.
    He asked officers to expedite timelines, saying they must do it, "more so because it was a flagship programme announced by none less than Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself".
    He underlined that timely execution is essential for strengthening early-warning systems and delivering more accurate and location-specific forecasts.
    He directed the IMD and the MoES to ensure transparent and efficient procurement and fast-track installations in priority regions.
    Singh expressed confidence that with coordinated efforts between the IMD and the ministry, the targets set under Mission Mausam "will be achieved well within the planned timeline".

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)