Lok Sabha Question No. 2996 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-14
Subject: Automatic Weather Stations
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: KRISHN PRATAP SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2996 TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2018

## AUTOMATIC WEATHER STATIONS

## 2996. SHRI KRISHAN PRATAP:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  at  least  one  fourth  ombrometers  and  automatic  weather stations,  installed  recently  by  the  India  Meteorological  Department with a view to providing weather related data on hourly basis across the country, are not functioning as per their capacity;
- (b)
- if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  various  appliances  remain  idle  due  to  shortage  of  qualified personnel to repair them and if so, the details thereof and the action taken in this regard;
- (d) whether  many  automatic  weather  stations  are  situated  in  hilly  and other inaccessible areas and these are likely to get damaged if their maintenance is not done regularly; and
- (e) if so, the steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

- (a)-(b)  IMD had installed nearly 1050 ordinary rain-gauges in various departmental & non-departmental observatories for the rainfall measurement.  The  rainfall  data  from  these  manual  observatories  is available from all  the 1050 stations. In addition, IMD had established network of 1350 Automatic rain-gauge Stations (ARG), which provides rainfall  measurement  on  hourly  basis.  As  on  date  580  stations  are working and the rectification of the defective units are going on.

IMD has also established Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) network of

125 stations in 2006-2007 and network of 550 stations in 2008-12.

Maintenance of these automated observing systems network is being carried out by trained manpower of Regional Meteorological Centres of IMD. Systems become non-functional due to natural disasters, lack of spares for old technology units, location in inaccessible areas of North East, Jammu &Kashmir etc. However, measures are taken regularly to overcome  these  issues, such as  replacement of old technology network  stations  with  state  of  the  art  new  technology  sensors  and devices. As on date, more than 60% data is available on hourly basis from the automated network stations.

- (c)  Periodic training on maintenance & calibration of surface meteorological instruments has been imparted to the officials involved in maintenance of AWS & other observatory instruments.
- (d)-(e)  The  maintenance  of  AWS  in  inaccessible  &  hilly  areas  is  always  a challenge.  In  order  to  have  overall  effective  maintenance,  special measures  are  being  taken  by  IMD  for  establishing  Zonal  Instrument Maintenance Centres (ZIMC). It is proposed to establish minimum two such  centres  in  one  state.  The  financial  powers  are  delegated  & training  will  be  imparted  periodically  to  the  officials  posted  at  these centres. There will be 62 ZIMC to be functional shortly, for the country as a whole through which periodical maintenance of the AWS sites will be carried out.
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