Lok Sabha Question No. 5398 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Status of Projects and implementation of Earth Sciences initiatives in Maharashtra
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Ms. Praniti Sushilkumar Shinde

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5398

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 25 TH  MARCH, 2026

## STATUS OF PROJECTS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF EARTH SCIENCES INITIATIVES IN MAHARASHTRA

## 5398.   MS. PRANITI SUSHILKUMAR SHINDE:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the major projects and programmes being implemented by the Government particularly in Maharashtra including those related to seismic monitoring, tsunami early warning  systems,  meteorological  services,  climate  research,  atmospheric  studies  and oceanographic mapping;
- (b) the current status of these projects along with the timelines for those completed, ongoing and yet to be initiated including the reasons for any delays in implementation;
- (c) the  details  of  funds  allocated,  released  and  expenditure  incurred  for  Earth  Sciences projects particularly in Maharashtra during the last three years;
- (d) the specific steps taken by the Government to strengthen climate resilience, disaster risk reduction,  marine  weather  forecasting  and  coastal  zone  management  particularly  in coastal districts of Maharashtra; and
- (e) the details of the outcomes achieved so far from the implementation of these projects in terms of scientific capacity building, early warning systems effectiveness, community outreach and benefits to the local population?

## ANSWER

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

- (a)-(b)  The Ministry of Earth Sciences  (MoES)  is implementing  several projects and programmes across the country, including in the State of Maharashtra, in the areas of meteorology,  ocean  services,  climate  research,  and  earth  system  sciences.  Mission Mausam  has  been  launched  by  the  Ministry  with  the  objective  of  making  Bharat  a "weather-ready  and  climate-smart"  nation,  including  the  State  of  Maharashtra.  The Ministry provides a range of ocean-based early warning services, including cyclone and tsunami alerts, storm surge warnings, and advisories on high waves, ocean currents, and swell surges. Also issues Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories to support the fishing community.

As  part  of  the  Earthquake  monitoring  network  of  India,  a  seismic  station  has  been installed at Pune. In addition, two tide gauge stations have been established at JNTU and Jaigarh Port for continuous measurement of tidal heights to support coastal monitoring and  advisory  services.  Further,  Coastal  Wave  Rider  buoys  have  been  deployed  off Ratnagiri and Versova (Maharashtra) for oceanographic monitoring, wave forecasting, and marine safety.

The Ministry is entrusted with the operation and maintenance of a network of 12 Ocean Moored  Buoys  under  the  Ocean  Moored  Network  for  the  Northern  Indian  Ocean (OMNI), along with 4 coastal buoys deployed along the Indian coastline. In addition, a network of 7 Tsunami buoys is being maintained in the Indian seas, of which 2 are located in the Arabian Sea. With reference to the proximity to Maharashtra, one Met-Ocean Buoy and  one  Tsunami  buoy,  both  about  570  km  west  of  Alibag,  Maharashtra,  are  being maintained.

The High Altitude Cloud Physics Laboratory (HACPL) is established at Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra, for atmospheric process studies. The Urban Radar network (with 4 X-band radars)  and  Rain  Gauge  Network  (MESONET)  are  established  in  the  Mumbai metropolitan city, Maharashtra, for high-resolution rainfall monitoring.

The Ministry engages in advanced climate modeling and research on climate projections at  the  Indian  Institute  of  Tropical  Meteorology  (IITM),  Pune,  Maharashtra.  These scientific  outputs  provide  valuable  inputs  for  framing  climate  change  mitigation  and adaptation policies, thereby contributing to climate resilience in vulnerable regions.

The  Ministry  is  in  continuous  endeavour  of  augmenting  the  observational  systems, including  seismic,  weather,  and  ocean  monitoring,  and  R&D  infrastructure,  towards achieving better accuracy in weather and ocean-state forecasting, as well as to strengthen timely early warning systems.

- (c) The  Ministry  implements  Central  Sector  Schemes  uniformly  across  the  country; therefore, the allocation of funds is not made on a State-wise basis. Funds under these schemes  are  not  released  directly  by  the  MoES  to  the  State  Governments  for implementation.
- (d)-(e)  The Ministry has developed advanced early warning systems for severe weather events. These  systems  are  supported  by  a  state-of-the-art  observation  network  comprising surface and upper-air observations, remote sensing, high-resolution dynamical models, and  an  end-to-end  GIS-based  Decision  Support  System  (DSS)  developed  by  MoES institutions, which serves as the front end for early warning systems to enable detection and monitoring of weather hazards across the country, including the coastal districts of Maharashtra. The system is integrated with modern telecommunications technologies to ensure  the  timely  dissemination  of  information.  Effective  dissemination  methods  for weather, ocean services, and earth sciences information and alerts by the MoES are as follows:
-  Public alerts and information are disseminated through mobile applications such as MAUSAM, MEGHDOOT, DAMINI, and UMANG.
-  Digital dissemination channels include e-mail and SMS-based nowcasting and forecasting alerts to registered users.
-  Alerts are issued through the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) and the SACHET App.
-  Information is shared via social media and mass media platforms.
-  District  Collectors  are  informed  through  direct  e-mail  and  WhatsApp  group notifications, in coordination with the State Governments.
-  Broadcast dissemination is carried out through community  radio, public broadcasting systems, and other local communication networks.
-  Dissemination is also undertaken through State Government mobile applications.
-  Gram Panchayat-level weather forecasting (GPLWF) is facilitated through digital platforms  such  as  e-Gramswaraj,  Meri  Panchayat  App,  and  e-Manchitra,  in collaboration with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
-  Weather forecasts are accessible through the Mausamgram portal of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
-  IMD provides medium-range weather forecasts for rainfall, temperature, relative humidity, cloud cover, wind speed, and direction at district and block levels for the next  five  days,  along  with  the  subsequent  week's  rainfall  and  temperature outlook at the meteorological sub-division level.
-  Ocean-based early warning advisories for maritime hazards, such as high waves, strong currents, swell surges, storm surges, and tsunamis.
-  Provides operational support during maritime emergencies through the Search and Rescue Aid Tool (SARAT) and oil-spill trajectory advisories.
-  Maintaining the ocean observation buoys network over the Arabian Sea and Bay of  Bengal,  data  from  which  are  utilised  for  strengthening  climate  resilience, disaster risk reduction, marine weather forecasting, and coastal zone management.
-  A wide range of ocean-based  early  warning  and  advisory  services  to  support disaster risk reduction and coastal safety.
-  Issues comprehensive 10-day ocean-state forecasts covering all major oceanographic parameters for all coastal States and districts, including Maharashtra.
-  Monitoring  the  earthquakes  occurring  in  and  around  the  country  through  its seismological network, and provides information about the earthquake occurrence with an intensity map. These details are made available to various disaster management authorities, other stakeholders, and the public as soon as possible through the website, BhooKamp App, SMS, FAX, email, WhatsApp, X, and Facebook.
-  Further,  the  Government  has  undertaken  multiple  initiatives  to  advance  Earth science  research,  capacity  building,  and  educational  infrastructure  across  the country.

The  implementation  of  these  measures  has  contributed  to  strengthening  scientific capacity, early warning systems, and community outreach, along with benefits to the local  population.  These  initiatives  have  also  contributed  to  enhancing  disaster  risk reduction efforts and supporting coastal communities across the country, including those in Maharashtra.

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