Under Mission Mausam need based, enhanced rain, radar cover by 2026
- Mission Mausam, which was approved by the union Cabinet on Wednesday, is aimed at improving India’s weather forecasting capabilities, by upgrading the weather monitoring infrastructure, investing in scientific research, and improving the skills of the scientists
Highlights:
- The recently launched Mission Mausam aims to not only improve weather forecasting in India but also enhance the country’s capability to manage certain weather events, such as controlling rainfall.
- Announced by M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, the mission reflects India's shift from traditional weather forecasting to proactive weather management.
Managing Rainfall and Weather Events:
- Ravichandran highlighted the potential of Mission Mausam in addressing extreme weather conditions.
- The project could allow authorities to suppress or enhance rainfall in specific areas, depending on the situation. For instance, in flood-prone regions, rainfall could be reduced, while in drought-affected areas, rainfall could be induced.
- The concept of rain engineering, particularly through cloud-seeding techniques, has been experimented with globally, including in India.
- While these methods have seen mixed success, Ravichandran expressed confidence that within the next five years, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) could develop reliable methods to manage rainfall.
- Additionally, the Mission could eventually focus on managing other weather phenomena, such as lightning.
Mission Mausam’s Key Objectives:
- Approved by the Union Cabinet, Mission Mausam has been allocated ₹2,000 crore for the first two years. It is set to be implemented over a five-year period, with future funding to be decided later.
- The mission focuses on upgrading India's weather monitoring infrastructure, promoting scientific research, and improving the skills of meteorologists.
Upgrading Weather Infrastructure:
- A critical aspect of the Mission involves strengthening India's weather observation network, both over land and the sea. This enhancement will directly improve the accuracy of weather models and facilitate better understanding of climate science.
- In the next 18 months, the number of essential weather-monitoring tools such as doppler radars, wind profilers, radiometers, and radio sonde will be significantly increased.
- These tools are crucial for gathering accurate weather data from the Earth's surface, atmosphere, and oceans, ultimately leading to better forecasting and weather management capabilities.
Prelims Takeaways:
- Mission Mausam