Lok Sabha Question No. 6106 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-04-01
Subject: Doppler Weather Radar
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Dr. Kadiyam Kavya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6106

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 1 ST  APRIL, 2026

## DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR

## 6106.   DR. KADIYAM KAVYA:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  recent  seismic  vulnerability  or  microzonation studies particularly in Warangal district of Telangana, considering increasing urban expansion and infrastructure growth and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  any  dedicated  Doppler  Weather  Radar  or  advanced  weather  monitoring systems  are  operational  or  proposed  for  installation  in  Warangal  to  improve  early warning systems for extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall, heatwaves and thunderstorms and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  strengthen  climate  resilience  and  disaster preparedness  particularly  in  Telangana  including  districts  like  Warangal  that  face recurring heatwave and unseasonal rainfall events; and
- (d) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  collaborate  with  the  Governments  of  State particularly in Telangana to establish additional earthquake observatories, automatic weather stations or climate research centres?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Warangal city in Telangana State falls under Seismic Zone II and is close to Zone III as per the Seismic Zoning Map of India published by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), indicating relatively low seismic hazard. Accordingly, no seismic microzonation studies for Warangal is taken up as yet.
- (b)-(c)  Yes. Advanced meteorological infrastructure is operational in the Warangal district of Telangana. Five Automatic Weather Stations/Automatic Rain Gauges (Hanamkonda, Mamnoor-KVK,  Siddhapur,  PTO  Warangal,  and  Mulugu)  are  operational  in  the district. There is no Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) installed in the Warangal district. The nearest operational S-Band DWRs are installed at Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. Their  radial  coverage  extends  up  to  about  400  km,  covering  Warangal  and  the surrounding areas and enabling monitoring of regions without local installations.

Further,  Warangal  district  lies  approximately  120-150  km  from  the  DWR  in Hyderabad, thereby falling well within its effective coverage range. During extreme weather  events,  nowcasts  and  impact-based  forecast  bulletins  are  generated  and disseminated  to  stakeholders  using  DWR  inputs.  In  view  of  this,  there  is  no requirement/proposal for the installation  of a dedicated Doppler Weather Radar for Warangal.

The Government adopts various dissemination mechanisms to ensure timely communication, including alerts and warnings, reaches all concerned, enabling local authorities, State Governments, State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs), the National  Disaster  Management  Authority  (NDMA),  the  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs (MHA), and the public to take appropriate mitigation measures. Further, the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has developed advanced early warning systems for severe weather events, including heavy rainfall, heatwaves, etc. 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  Warangal  district  in  Telangana.  The system is integrated with modern telecommunications technologies to ensure the timely dissemination of information. Effective dissemination methods for weather 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  Telangana  Integrated  Command  and Control Centre (ICCC) of the Police Department.
-  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 information is disseminated to Pashu Sakhi and Krishi Sakhi at the block  and  Panchayat  levels  in  collaboration  with  the  Ministry  of  Rural Development.
-  Forecasts are accessible through the Mausamgram  portal  of  the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
-  IMD continuously provides Nowcasts (up to 3 hours), Short Range (up to 3 days), Medium Range (4-10 days), Extended Range (up to 1 month), Long Range  or  Seasonal  (monsoon).  These  forecasts  are  issued  at  sub-division, district,  and  city  levels  for  rainfall,  thunderstorms,  and  heatwaves.  These forecasts  and  warnings  are  disseminated  to  SDMAs,  user  communities (Aviation, Agriculture, Defence, Tourism, Railways, Irrigation, Rural, Urban, Industries, etc.), and the general public.
-  A comprehensive Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) consisting of observational networks, forecasting models, an indigenously developed GISbased  DSS,  and  dissemination  mechanisms  for  blocks,  districts,  including Warangal, and subdivisions, is in place for seamless monitoring and forecasting for severe weather systems such as cyclones, heavy rainfall, hail, heatwaves, cold waves, thunderstorms, lightning, etc.
-  With  respect  to  earthquakes,  the  Government  has  strengthened  disaster preparedness through continuous monitoring of earthquake activity and quick dissemination of earthquake information by the National Centre for Seismology, under the Ministry, to the SDMAs and the public.

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 Telangana.

IMD has also brought out a web-based "Climate Hazard & Vulnerability Atlas of India" prepared for the thirteen most hazardous meteorological events, which cause extensive damage  and  economic,  human,  and  animal  losses.  The  same  can  be  accessed  at https://imdpune.gov.in/hazardatlas/abouthazard.html.  The  atlas  provides  information that  may  assist  State  Government  authorities  and  disaster  management  agencies  in identifying potential hotspots and in planning appropriate measures to address extreme weather events, including heatwaves and unseasonal rainfall, caused by climate change. The  product  also  serves  as a reference  for  efforts related to climate-resilient infrastructure planning.

- (d) Yes.  The  India  Meteorological  Department  (IMD),  under  the  Ministry,  routinely collaborates  with  State  Governments  and  TGDPS  to  expand  observation  networks, including Automatic Weather Stations (AWS), upper-air stations, lightning detectors, radars,  and  wind  profiler  systems.  Expansion  of  such  infrastructure  depends  on vulnerability,  technical  feasibility,  land  availability,  and  funding  approvals.  The Ministry  is  in  continuous  endeavour  of  augmenting  the  observational  network  and R&D infrastructure, towards achieving better accuracy in weather forecasting, as well as to strengthen timely early warning systems.

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