Met’s new plan: Know the weather in your village

“The model for forecasts exists but for issuing block and village-level forecasts and advisories, more observation is necessary," said M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Ravichandran, meanwhile, asked the IMD to collaborate with industries to upgrade their instruments in observatories. This move, he said, would help the industries understand better the requirements of the department and manufacture the best possible instruments needed. (File/Representational)

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Met’s new plan: Know the weather in your village

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THE INDIAN Meteorological Department (IMD) is planning to tie up with state governments and the Ministry of Rural Development to ensure that its advisories and forecasts reach farmers at the village level, according to M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Ravichandran was speaking at the inauguration of the new observatory building of the Central Agro-Meteorological Observatory (CAgMO) in Pune on Tuesday.

“The model for forecasts exists but for issuing block and village-level forecasts and advisories, more observation is necessary. This is collaborative work, and we are working with various stakeholders like the Ministry of Rural Development and various state governments, agricultural universities, etc,” he said.

Speaking to The Indian Express on the sidelines of the event, Ravichandran stressed on the need for adoption of newer technology in observation, including Internet of Things (IoT). This, he said, will reduce gaps and lead to more accurate observations.

“Over the years, the switch from conventional to newer technology will happen and there will be a period of overlap where data from both conventional and automatic systems would be taken. Investment in technology will help in easy transition,” he said.

AgroMet advisories are issued by the IMD to help farmers plan their activities. These forecasts are issued for over 7,000 blocks while advisories are issued for 3,100 blocks in the country. Micro-level forecasting and data is also needed for various schemes like Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yogna – the crop insurance scheme of the central government.

The IMD’s AgroMet division has 264 observatories of its own. Spread across the country are various other observation centres, which measure parameters like soil moisture, soil temperature, water evaporation rate, etc.