Jammu: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Friday announced the restructuring of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) with the launch of a regional meteorological centre (RMC) in Jammu, saying the move marks the beginning of a new chapter in the 151-year history of the country’s weather forecasting agency.
Singh said that a decision was taken to decentralise the workload of the Delhi regional meteorological centre and improve weather forecasting, early warning dissemination and disaster preparedness across northern India.
“The Meteorological Department has completed 151 years. In this long journey, a new chapter is beginning today with the division of Delhi into three parts by establishing regional meteorological centres at Jammu, Delhi and Lucknow,” he said.
The meteorological centre in Jammu which has been upgraded to a regional centre will cater to the weather service requirements of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, with a special focus on mountain meteorology, snow forecasting and high-altitude weather services.
Singh said the earlier arrangement placed the entire northern region under the Delhi centre, making decentralisation necessary for better maintenance and efficient functioning of meteorological services.
“Under the new structure, the Jammu RMC will serve Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, while the Delhi centre will cover Delhi, Haryana and Punjab.
“The Lucknow Regional Meteorological Centre, which will cater to Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, is scheduled to be inaugurated on June 8,” he added.
Describing weather forecasting as a critical component of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Viksit Bharat, the Union Minister said improved disaster management can significantly reduce losses to life and property.
Highlighting the expansion of weather infrastructure under the Modi government, Singh said that when the government assumed office in 2014, the country had only 17 weather radars. Over the past 12 years, 30 more radars have been installed, taking the total to around 50, while another 50 radars are planned under Mission Mausam.
The minister also highlighted technological advancements in forecasting and said the Nowcast Service now provides highly accurate forecasts up to three hours in advance.
Further, the recently launched SkyCast system at Delhi International Airport helps provide information on fog-related flight disruptions, the minister said.
Referring to Jammu and Kashmir’s development during the past decade, Singh cited several projects, including the completion of the Shahpur Kandi Project and the establishment of institutions such as IIT, IIM, AIIMS, IIMC and the Central University in the Jammu region.
The minister also said that the IMD has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with institutions in Jammu and Srinagar, and the Department of Science and Technology, under the government’s “Whole-of-Government” approach to strengthen meteorological and climate-related services.
The upgraded Jammu centre is expected to significantly enhance weather monitoring, forecasting capabilities and disaster preparedness across the northwestern Himalayan region, particularly in vulnerable mountain areas prone to extreme weather events.
