Long before the satellites, weather charts and radars, the ancient meteorologists turned to the sun, the stars and the shifting winds to identify weather patterns. Technology has, however, come in handy to mankind, with the ability to simplify complex tasks like weather prediction, in no time.
Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday celebrated 150 years of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) by launching ‘Mission Mausam’, an initiative to make India a climate-smart nation. Addressing the event at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, PM Modi pointed out the IMD's crucial role in serving millions of Indians while advancing India’s technological capabilities.
Before a disastrous cyclone struck Calcutta in 1864, meteorological stations in India operated from cities like Calcutta, Chennai and Mumbai. In 1875, the Indian government established the India Meteorological Department in Calcutta, bringing all meteorological work in the country under one umbrella. The headquarters later shifted to Shimla, then Pune and eventually to New Delhi.
“The progress of a country's scientific institutions reflects its awareness of science”, said PM Modi, further applauding the IMD’s expansion, including the increase in number of Doppler weather radars, automatic weather stations (AWSs), runway weather monitoring systems, and district-wise rainfall monitoring stations, all of which have been upgraded.
Highlighting the department’s future goals, the prime minister introduced the IMD Vision-2047 document—which lays down plans for weather forecasting, weather management and climate change mitigation in the country. He released a commemorative postage stamp and coin to honour the department’s legacy.
“Meteorology is crucial for a country's disaster management capabilities”, Modi remarked, adding that to mitigate the impact of natural disasters, a country's meteorological mechanisms must be enhanced.
Recalling the devastation caused by the cyclonic storm in Kandla, Kutch in 1998, and the super cyclone in Odisha in 1999—which resulted in thousands of casualties—the PM emphasised that despite numerous major cyclones and disasters occurring in recent years, India has successfully minimised or nullified the loss of life in most cases.
He also pressed that the integration of science and preparedness has also reduced economic losses worth billions of rupees.
‘Early Warning for All’ initiative now covers over 90 per cent of the population, PM Modi stated— adding that only 10 per cent of farmers and livestock owners could receive weather-related advice around ten years ago, whereas the number has now increased to 50 per cent today. He also remarked that the demand for IMD’s data will skyrocket in various sectors, industries and even in everyday life.
