CM Mohan Charan Majhi opens 3rd Doppler radar

Sambalpur: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday inaugurated the State’s third Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) at Sambalpur and announced plans to install three more such facilities along the coast to strengthen disaster preparedness and mitigate the impact of natural calamities.

Majhi inaugurated the facility at an event attended virtually by Union Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, State Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari and others. The new radar will provide weather services to 13 districts and cover parts of neighbouring Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, Majhi said.

The Sambalpur facility is the third DWR in the State after those at Paradip and Gopalpur. Majhi announced that three more radars would be installed at Bhubaneswar, Baleshwar and Paradip. The Sambalpur radar can provide accurate weather data within a radius of 250 km and track weather systems up to 450 km away, he said. The 13 districts to benefit from the facility are Sambalpur, Baragada, Jharsuguda, Sundaragada, Debagada, Subarnapur, Balangir, Boudh, Nuapada, Anugola, Kalahandi, Kendujhar and Dhenkanal.

Majhi said the radar would benefit farmers across the Mahanadi river basin, including those in Baragada, known as the “rice bowl” of Odisha. The facility will provide early warnings of pre-monsoon thunderstorms, lightning, hailstorms, heavy rain and cyclones, he said. By estimating rainfall at a resolution of 150 metres every 10 minutes, the radar will also help strengthen the management of water inflow into the Hirakud reservoir, he added. It will also facilitate precautionary measures in sectors such as power, industry, transportation and grid operations.

Addressing the event virtually, Jitendra Singh said the Sambalpur radar marked a significant milestone for India’s weather forecasting system. “Since 2014, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and space science have been accorded the highest priority and recognition,” he said.

Singh said India was providing weather forecasts and data not only to its citizens but also to neighbouring countries. He also announced that 40 additional Doppler radars would be installed across the country in the near future.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the installation of the radar in western Odisha fulfilled a long-standing demand of the region. He said the State government had adopted a ‘Zero Casualty’ policy to strengthen disaster preparedness and early warning systems.

“With this radar now operational in Sambalpur, farmers, the general public and disaster mitigation teams across 13 districts of western Odisha will be able to receive accurate information regarding lightning, heavy rainfall and storms well in advance,” he said.

IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the State government had provided the infrastructure required for installing the DWR at Sambalpur and that the facility was made possible through the joint efforts of State and Central governments.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Hans India