Baleswar Doppler station still to take off

Inordinate delay in setting up of Doppler Weather Radar Station (DWRS) at Baleswar  and indecision of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to make functional other DWRSs has become a matter of great concern for the State Government.

Even as probable maximum storm surge (PMSS) is highest in Baleswar coast and the area is also prone to cyclone, the Union Government is still undecided over setting up the DWRS at Baleswar.

This has come as a surprise for the State Government, which is worried over such development as among the entire Odisha coasts, it has been predicted by the IMD that PMSS is highest 11 meters in Baleswar coast.

Setting up of the DWR, therefore, assumes significance at the Baleswar coast and accordingly, the IMD had allowed construction of DWR buildings at Baleswar along with Sambalpur.

The DWR buildings both at Sambalpur and Baleswar are complete except the top floor of G+4 storey building. While procurement of radar for Sambalpur has been included in the annual plan of the IMD, purchase decision of DWR has not been taken for Baleswar, revealed officials.

Sources said that as the DRDO is yet to issue clearance, the Earth System Science Organisation (ESSO), which is procurement organisation of DWRs, has not been able to take any concrete decision in this regard.

According to officials with the DWRS at Paradip in operation, real time data in every 10 minutes is now available in the IMD website (www.imd.gov.in). The DWRS at Gopalpur has already been installed and it is in operational mode now.

Long ago construction of DWRS buildings at Sambalpur and  Baleswar was completed except top floor of G+4 storey building at both places. While procurement of radar at Sambalpur is included in the national plan of the IMD, no decision is yet taken for the Baleswar radar by the IMD, sources admit.

The State with 480-km-long coastline is prone to cyclones. While the 1999 Super Cyclone had its landfall near Paradip, Phailin had hit the coast near Gopalpur in 2013.

After the DWR station is in operation in Paradip, advance and more accurate information on the upcoming cyclones or storms are available - which help in disaster management, said an IMD official.

As the procurement of DWR for Sambalpur has already been decided, it is expected that the radar station will be operational this year.

However, without clearance from the DRDO, it will be impossible for authorities to set up the radar station at Baleswar though building has been constructed with huge funds.

Keeping in view the urgency and significance of setting up of and making functional all DWRS in the State against the backdrop of rise in sea surges due to adverse climatic change effects, the State Government has decided to take up the matter at the highest level in the Union Government.