In collaboration with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) and the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has launched gram panchayat-level weather forecasts. A gram panchayat is a village council.
Daily local forecasts
With this initiative, daily gram panchayat-level forecasts will be available for nearly all gram panchayats across India, covering weather parameters such as temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, wind and cloud cover. The forecasts will be disseminated through the ministries’ digital platforms, including the Mausamgram of IMD and e-GramSwaraj and Meri Panchayat app of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
The Mausamgram is an initiative aiming for ‘Har Har Mausam Har Ghar Mausam’ (weather information at each household at any time). It is an initiative developed by IMD to provide location-specific forecasts at gram panchayat level. It will provide weather forecasts hourly up to 36 hours, 3 hourly from 36 hours to the next five days and every six hours between five to 10 days in advance.
These updates are intended to empower ordinary people, including farmers, to use weather information in their daily lives and improve their socio-economic conditions and ease of living. The farmers can use this information to make decisions about agricultural processes like sowing, harvesting, irrigation, fertilizer/pesticide application, etc. It is also expected to reduce the loss of life and property caused by meteorological disasters and extreme weather.
Mission Mausam
This daily gram panchayat-level forecasts initiative will be augmented by the implementation of the flagship program, Mission Mausam, which the Union Cabinet approved for implementation during 2024-26.
Furthermore, SMS alerts on weather warnings will be sent to panchayat representatives regarding extreme weather events like cyclones and heavy rainfall, ensuring immediate action to protect lives, crops and property. This endeavor is intended to build climate-resilient communities at the grassroots level.
In related news, the government of India recently initiated the procurement and installation of 10 x-band Doppler weather radars (DWRs) to enhance weather forecasting and monitoring capabilities in the northeastern states of India and the Lahaul & Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. Click here to read the full story