Question : Weather Prediction Infrastructure

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES
LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION No. 3292
TO BE ANSWERED ON MARCH 13, 2020
WEATHER PREDICTION INFRASTRUCTURE

3292. SHRI LALLU SINGH: SHRI PARTHIBAN S.R.: DR. BEESETTI VENKATA SATYAVATHI: SHRI ANIL FIROJIYA:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased tostate:
(a) whether the Government is aware of the extensive damage to crops due to heavy, unpredictable rains in various parts of the country particularly in Andhra Pradesh;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether any studies have been conducted to assess the damage to crops by these unseasonal rains and if so, the details and findings thereof;
(d) whether the Government has any plan to improve the weather prediction infrastructure in order to be able to predict such unseasonal weather changes more accurately; and
(e) whether the Government has any plans to improve information dissemination and communication to farmers in order to allow them to prepare for such circumstances and if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER
MINISTER FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
AND EARTH SCIENCES
(Dr. HARSH VARDHAN)

(a)to(c) Yes Sir.The rainfall statistics (State/UT wise) for the country along with rainfall statistics (district wise) for the State of Andhra Pradesh for Monsoon & Post-monsoon seasons, 2019 is given in Annexure-I.

(d)&(e) Yes Sir. India Meteorological Department (IMD) runs an operational Agrometeorological Advisory Service (AAS) viz., Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) scheme for the benefit of farming community in the country. Under the scheme, medium range weather forecast at district level is generated and based on the forecast, AgrometAdvisories are prepared and communicated by the 130 Agromet Field Units (AMFUs) located at State Agricultural Universities, institutes of ICAR and IIT etc., to the farmers on every Tuesday and Friday to take decision on day-to-day agricultural operations. AAS rendered by IMD is a step towards weather-based crop and livestock management strategies and operations dedicated to enhancing crop production and food security besides reducing crop damage and loss due to unusual weather.
IMD is planning to implement block level Agromet Advisory Services shortly in collaboration with Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) in the country. District Agromet Units (DAMUs) are being established in Krishi Vikas Kendra (KVKs) under ICAR network. Implementation of block level AAS would address the micro-level variation in weather and climate and hence more numbers of farmers will be benefitted.

Agromet Advisories are communicated to the farmers through multichannel dissemination system like print and electronic media, Doordarshan, radio, internet etc. as well as by SMS using mobile phones through Kisan Portal launched by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and through private companies under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode. At present, 42 million farmers in the country receive the Agromet Advisories through SMS directly. Krishi Vigyan Kendras(KVKs) of ICAR have also given link to the respective district level advisory in their web portal. A mobile App viz., ‘Meghdoot’ has been launched by Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India recently to help the farmers to get the weather information and related agromet advisories specific to their districts.