Context: The Prime Minister launched ‘Mission Mausam’ during the 150th foundation day (15th January) celebration of the India Meteorological Department.
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- A commemorative postage stamp and coin were also released about the achievements of IMD.
- Prime Minister also released the IMD Vision-2047 document for weather resilience and climate change adaptation.
About Mission Mausam
- The mission aims to position India as a global leader in weather and climate sciences, ensuring the nation becomes ‘Weather Ready’ and ‘Climate Smart’ while meeting global standards.
- This landmark initiative by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) was earlier approved by the Union Cabinet in September 2024 with a budget of ₹2,000 crores for the first two years of its implementation.
- As part of this mission, India will significantly boost research, development, and capabilities in atmospheric sciences, especially weather surveillance, modelling, forecasting and management.
- The initiative leverages cutting-edge technology, including high-resolution models and supercomputing systems, to provide accurate forecasts on various timescales—ranging from short-term (hours) to seasonal predictions.
- It will be spearheaded by the MoES through the following institutions:
- The India Meteorological Department (IMD),
- The National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Noida, and
- The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune
- Objectives of Mission Mausam are:
- To enhance India’s capability in weather forecasting across various scales—short-term, medium-term, extended-range, and seasonal.
- To develop high-resolution models for improved accuracy in predicting monsoon behaviour.
- To strengthen observational networks with advanced radars, satellites, and automated weather stations.
- To provide actionable advisories for agriculture, water resources, energy, health, and disaster management sectors.
- To build capacity through research collaborations with national and international institutions.
Implementation Approach of the Mission
- Infrastructure Development: Installation of Doppler Weather Radars (DWRs), Automatic Weather Stations (AWS), and rain gauges across the country.
- Supercomputing Power: Leveraging high-performance computing systems like Pratyush and Mihir for advanced climate modelling.
- Collaborative Research: Partnerships with global organizations like the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to enhance forecasting techniques.
- Public Outreach: Dissemination of user-friendly advisories through mobile apps (e.g., Mausam app), SMS services, and media channels.
- Focus on the North-East Region: Due to frequent floods and landslides in the region, the mission will prioritizes this region by:
- Deploying additional weather observation systems tailored to hilly terrains
- Providing localized forecasts to mitigate the impact of extreme events
- Collaborating with the state governments to integrate weather data into disaster management plans.
Key Challenges
- Geographical Diversity: India’s varied topography requires complex region-specific models to develop.
- Climate Change Uncertainty: Rapid changes in global climate patterns make long-term predictions more challenging.
- Infrastructure Gaps: Remote areas still need more observational infrastructure like radars or AWS.
- Awareness Levels: Ensuring farmers and rural communities effectively utilise forecast information remains a key hurdle.