Lok Sabha Question No. 4 (STARRED), answered on 2018-07-18
Subject: Thunderstorm Studies
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: JYOTIRADITYA MADHAVRAO SCINDIA, GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No.*4

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY JULY 18, 2018

## THUNDERSTORM STUDIES

- *4. SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA: SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that thunderstorms are a regular feature during  the  pre-monsoon  season  in  India  but  thunderstorm studies in the country are very rare and the people working on thunderstorms are very few and if so, the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether  in  the  wake  of  deadly  thunderstorms  that  struck frequently in the north-west and eastern parts of the country, the  Government  has  decided  to  set  up  an  expert  group  on thunderstorms;
- (c) if  so,  the  details  and  the  modalities  to  be  examined  by  the expert group and the timeline set for the same;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  also  plans  to  engage  scholars from Universities and outside experts by funding thunderstorm prediction research and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  promote thunderstorm  studies  in  India,  improve  IMD  thunderstorm predictions and upgrade IMD to provide timely information in the affected areas?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  to  (e)  OF  THE  LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *4 REGARDING 'THUNDERSTORM STUDIES' FOR ANSWER ON 18 th JULY, 2018.

- (a ) Yes  Madam.  Thunderstorms  are  a  regular  feature,  especially during the pre-monsoon  season  (March  to  June) in India. Thunderstorms are small scale (10-50 km) weather systems with a life span of couple of hours. Thunderstormsare  often accompanied by rain, violent winds, lightning, and hail, thereby posing  serious  hazardous  problems  to  the  general  public  and various socio-economic sectors like aviation, agriculture, transport, power supply etc.

For  many  years,  India  Meteorological  Department  (IMD),  and other institutes of the Ministry of Earth Sciences and universities in India are involved in basic research on thunderstorms.  However,  scientists  working  on  this  research area in India are much smaller compared to scientists working on other areas like Monsoons and Climate Change.

- (b) Yes  Madam.  Ministry  of  Earth  Sciences  has  formed  an  expert group consisting of scientists from India Meteorological Department  (IMD), Indian Institute of Tropical  Meteorology (IITM) and National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) as members of the working group.
- (c) The  expert  group  is  mandated  to  development  of  different monitoring and prediction (based on different techniques) tools for  thunderstorms.  The  group  is  expected  to  come  out  with  a better strategy for monitoring and predicting thunderstorms by March 2019.
- (d) Yes madam. Ministry of Earth Sciences has already advertised the call for proposal on 'Thunderstorm and Meso-scale Processes  Prediction  (THUMP)  to  receive  research  proposals from  universities  and  academic  institutions  in  the  country specifically  in  this  focussed  area.  The  advertisement  was published in July 2018 issue of Current Science journal and also in  the  Ministry's  web  page.  Through  this  mechanism,  Ministry will  provide  financial  support  to  universities  and  academic institutions for working on this important research area.
- (e) The  ongoing  augmentation  of  the  IMD's  observational  network would help in improving the mesoscale prediction system. The proposed augmentation of radar Network of IMD, especially over northwest  Himalayas,  will  also  enable  wider  coverage  under Thunderstorm  Nowcasting.  The  Thunderstorm  expert  group  is mandated  to  develop  high  resolution  operational  prediction system by March 2019. Ministry has also invited specific project proposals from universitieson thunderstorm studies for research funding.

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