Lok Sabha Question No. 2467 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-30
Subject: Meteorological and Observational Services
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: HARISH CHANDRA MEENA

- (a)
- (b)
- No Madam.
- Does not arise.
- (c) Starting  from  the  XI  five  year  plan,  Government  has  initiated  a comprehensive  upgradation  of  (i)  observation  systems  (ii)  advanced data assimilation tools (iii) advanced communication and IT infrastructure (iv) high performance  computing systems and (v) intensive/sophisticated  training  of  India  Meteorological  Department (IMD) personnel to facilitate the implementation of advanced prediction models for improving the accuracy of weather forecasts.

During the XIIth plan, the High Performance Computing (HPC) systems have  been  up-scaled  to  1.2  petaflops  so  far  to  support  the  ongoing efforts on modelling. Operational implementation of improved suite of prediction  models  has  enhanced  the  weather  forecasting  capability through assimilation of all available global satellite radiance data for the production of forecast products at 22km  grid globally and 9km/3km grid over India/regional/mega city domains. Latest technology  is  being  utilized  in  IMD  observatories.IMD  has  updated instruments  with  latest  technology,  following  World  Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Guidelines.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2467 TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016

## METEOROLOGICAL AND OBSERVATIONAL SERVICES

## 2467.  SHRI HARISH MEENA:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  out-dated  technology  and  poor  maintenance  is  hampering accuracy and consistency of meteorological and observational services;
- (b)
- if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the  extent  to  which  innovations  and  initiatives  are  being  conducted and implemented by meteorological department?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES (SHRI Y. S. CHOWDARY)

Following initiatives are implemented  by IMD  for improving its observational services.

-  Surface  instrument  Division  of  IMD,  Pune  has  taken  up  many initiatives to upgrade all Meteorological field sites .
-  IMD and Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research(SAMEER) have developed HHDL (Hand held Datalogger) for transmission of meteorological data from Field observatory to their  respective  Meteorological  Center/Regional  Meteorological Centre.
-  IMD  and  National  Aerospace  Laboratories(NAL)  Bangalore  have developed DrishtiTransmissometer Systems (LED Based) for Airports.
-  Modernization of Conventional Surface Observatories by replacement with Digital Sensors and Automatic transmission of SYNOP messagesof surface data.
-  Radiation Lab, Pune has primary standard (Cavity radiometer) for solar  radiation  instruments  and  is  Regional  Radiation  Centre  for Asia  (RA  II)  is  recognized  by  World  Meteorological  Organization (WMO).
-  IMD  has  upgraded  mercury  barometers  with  Digital  standard barometers.
-  IMD has developed ingeniously High wind speed recorder system (HWSR) to measure high wind speed and direction and installed at coastal stations.
-  IMD is also upgrading AWS with dual communication - satellite as well as mobile based AWS.

Indigenous technologies from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL)&Indian Space Research Organization  (ISRO)  have  been  incorporated  in  the  Doppler  Weather Radar Network of India Meteorological Department.

*****