Lok Sabha Question No. 3410 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-22
Subject: Forecast of Natural Disasters by ISRO
Ministry: SPACE
Asked by: NEELAM SONKER

## (a)

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF SPACE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3410

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017 FORECAST OF NATURAL DISASTERS BY ISRO

3410.   SHRIMATI NEELAM SONKER:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed  a  system  to  forecast  the  natural  disasters  and  to find  ways for safeguards;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the disasters on which ISRO has developed/is developing a scientific system to forecast them;
- (c) whether  the    Government    has  allocated  fund  to  ISRO  to develop Space Research System in collaboration with foreign countries; and
- if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  amount  of  the  fund

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PG & PENSIONS AND IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH):

- & (b)

ISRO  is  working  on  systems  to  forecast  the  natural  disasters  that could  be  used  as  input  by  States/ disaster  management  agencies.

- (d) provided?

ISRO  is  carrying  out  studies  to  facilitate  best  use  of  the  satellite derived  information  to  develop  methodologies  for  forecasting  the natural disasters. Some of such methodologies developed include:

- i. Cyclone  formation,  track  and  Intensity:  ISRO  has  developed methodologies  for  forecasting  the  cyclone  formation,  it's  track and intensity using satellite based observation. The methodology developed has been transferred to India meteorological Department (IMD) who is mandated for cyclone forecast.
- ii. Flood Early Warning System: The North Eastern Space Applications  Centre  (NESAC)  of  ISRO  has  developed  the  Flood Early  Warning  System  (FLEWS)  as  a  Research  &  Development (R&D)  project  in  Assam  State  in  association  with  Assam  State Disaster  Management  Authority  (ASDMA).  The  FLEWS  model  is being used in all 25 flood prone districts of Assam. Another model for forecasting floods in Godavari floodplains in Andhra Pradesh is developed  by  National  Remote  Sensing  Centre  (NRSC)  of  ISRO. The  methodology  is  being  used  by  Central  Water  Commission (CWC). ISRO is developing similar systems for Krishna, BrahmaniBaitarani, Ghagra, Gandak, and Kosi rivers.
3. Heavy  Rainfall/  cloud  burst  alerts:  Space  Applications  Centre (SAC) of ISRO has developed a model, for heavy rainfall / cloud burst alerts, which is being experimentally carried out for Indian region.  The  information  is  made  available  on  ISRO's  MOSDAC (Meteorological & Oceanographic Satellite Data Archival Centre)
- iii. website.
- iv. Rainfall triggered landslide alerts for the Uttarakhand Region: An experimental early warning system for rainfall triggered landslides is developed  for use  along the pilgrimage route corridors leading to Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath as well as along the Pithoragarh-Malpa route in Uttarakhand. The forewarning is generated based on the statistical relation between  the  terrain  (geological,  morphological)  and  temporal (primarily long term rainfall events) factors.
- v. Extreme  weather  events:    ISRO  has  developed  experimental methodologies for early warning extreme weather events such as heat wave using numerical weather predictions. The information derived is being made available on the MOSDAC website.

(c) & (d)

Yes  Madam.  ISRO  has  realised  two  satellite  missions,  Viz., MeghaTropiques (launched in Oct 2011) and SARAL (launched in Feb  2013),  in  collaboration  with  French  National  Space  Agency (CNES). Presently, ISRO is working with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), USA towards joint realisation of a satellite  mission,  namely,  'NASA-ISRO  Synthetic  Aperture  Radar The  fund allocation  for  MeghaTropiques  is  Rs.  81.6  Crores,  SARAL  is  Rs.

(NISAR), to be launched  by  2020-21  timeframe. 73.75 Crores and for NISAR is Rs. 513 Crores.

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