Lok Sabha Question No. 491 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-20
Subject: Drone Technology for Atmospheric Data
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik, Manoj Kumar Tiwari, Sudheer Gupta, Subrata Pathak, Prataprao  Jadhav, Shrirang Appa Barne, Bidyut Baran Mahato, Sambhajirao Mane Dhairyasheel

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## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES

## LOKSABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 491 TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 20TH JULY, 2~22

## DRONE TECHNOLOGY FOR ATMOSPHERIC DATk

## 491. SHRI SANJAY SADASHIVRAO MANDLIK:

SHRI MANOJ TIWARI:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI SUBRAT PATHAK:

SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV:

SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI DHAIRYASHEEL SAMBHAJIRAO MANE:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- whether the Government is set to deploy drones to gather atmosphe1ic dat in place of weather balloons released from different locations in the country from time 0 time; (a)
- if so, the details thereof and the manner in which this new technology is likely to be beneficial to the India Meteorological Department; I (b)
- whether the Government has conducted any study in this regard a~d if s , the details thereof; ,.1 (c)
- the details of benefits likely to be accrued by the Government in t,e fiel of weather forecasting through this technology; I j (d)
- the total amount of money likely to be saved by the Department ff Me eorology by using drone technology as instruments attached to the weather ballo ns are not recoverable; and (e)
- the details of other meteorological activities in which Government ]ropos ,s to use this drone technology? (f)

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES

(DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- Yes sir, India Meteorological Department (IMD) is exploring the po~sibili~es to deploy drones to gather atmospheric data from various locations, in place 0 weatlr balloons. (a)
- Currently, radio sounding is the method in practice to measure vertic r, I profile of physical properties of the upper air atmosphere and this is do e by launching a transmitter interfaced with sensors aloft a weather balloon. Althou h weafher balloons are widespread in use since long, it poses a limitation to successFI re90very of the sensor and also limits the use of more sophisticated and widesp~ead sensors due to underlying implicit cost involved. With the advent and sophistication in tte unmanned aerial systems commonly known as drones, IMD is exploring the pbssibil ty to replace balloons with drones in gathering upper air observations. This new ~ chnology is expected to make the sensors recoverable and reusable thus likely t benefit IMD. (b)
- An inter-departmental committee has been constituted by IMDto con uct st dies in this regard. In order to explore the technical feasibility of upper air bohnd level data sensing, an invitation to industry and academia to demonstrate e Iperimfntal drone based radio-sounding on No Cost No Commitment (NCNC) basis ha been released by Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and it is available on MoES and I I D r The last date for the submission of proposal is 16th of July, 2022. (c)
- Upper air observations are a part of initial conditions for the weathe forecrst models. This new technology if found technically feasible thro~,h c ntemplated experimentation is expected to benefit IMD in the field of weat~er for casting by providing high resolution upper air data from unexplored and remote areas along with the data from existing observatory networks. (d)
- (e) Total amount of money likely to be saved by the Department shall be esti ated during the experimental sounding.
- Government of India through the MoES is setting up a Thunderst0rrtt Test~ed site over East India for in-depth study of thunderstorms over the region. As a part of~his project, the Ministry proposes to purchase two drones for monitoring of weafher parameters of the atmospheric boundary layer prior to occurrence of thunderstorm. and Iso for post event monitoring of damages. (f)

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