Aviation and cloud burst forecast facilities for meteorological office

State Government would be extending all possible assistance in upgrading and expanding the state level Meteorological Centre of Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India at Shimla and equipped with necessary infrastructure for cloud bursts and aviation forecasting in the state. This was revealed by Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, while discussing the upgradation of the state level meteorological centre established at Shimla with its director Dr. Manmohan Singh, here today.

Chief Minister said that meteorological centre was of utmost importance to the state since major farming activities were dependant upon the rains and natural irrigation. He said that although good irrigation infrastructure had been created to irrigate the farm land of the people but still the higher reaches were dependent upon rains for irrigation purposes and recharge of water bodies. He said that the some areas of the state were prone to cloud bursts causing immense damage to life and property besides washing away valuable farm land and orchards in the floods. He said that such natural calamities had remained unpredictable so far since advanced and sophisticated meteorological equipments had not been procured and added to the existing weather forecasting system in the state. He said that with the upgradation of the local centre the people of the state would be informed well in time of any such natural calamity so that precautionary steps were taken to save the life and property of the people. He said that the existing centre was carrying farmers bulletins with a view to help them monitor their farming activities more perfectly.

Prof. Dhumal said that the upgradation of the meteorological centre would be equipped with aviation forecasting facilities. He said that there were three operational airports in the state at Jubbar-Hatti, Kullu-Manali and Gaggal in Kangra valley which would be linked to the high speed data terminals and capable of making aviation forecasts to facilitate the landing and take off of the aircrafts. He said that night landing facilities were also being added for which the Union Aviation Ministry had been requested. He said that with the addition of aviation forecast it would be instrumental in giving renewed boost to quality tourism promotion activities. He said that the state had also created a vast network of over five dozens of helipads which would also be supplementing the quality tourism in the state and visitors acquainted with the rural life of the state in additional to natural grandeur bestowed by the nature over the state.

Chief Minister said that high speed data terminal for sending the weather data of Himachal Pradesh to New Delhi and receiving the Global Weather Data for analysis facilities were available in the state besides Digital Meteorological Data Dissemination System for receiving the direct Satellite pictures, weather data and weather charts. He said that interactive Voice Response

System for providing weather information round the clock facilities were also available in the state. He added that the centre had four regular observatories, two upper air date observatories, 24 part-time observatories, 60 daily monitoring stations, 7 other stations, 6 seismological observatories and two automatic weather stations in the state. He said that possibilities would be explored to set up Radar on the Jakhu Hills, installation of 68 more automatic weather stations and rain gauge stations besides extending the meteorological services at every district of the state.

Prof. Dhumal said that it was during his earlier term as Chief Minister in year 2002 that the State Level Meteorological Centre was established at Shimla since the matter was also raised during his term as Member of Parliament pressing demand for the setting up of the Centre in the state. He said that efforts would be made to provide suitable land for permanent station of the Centre in and around the state capital so that it could function more effectively, efficiently and conveniently and keep the state updated about the weather conditions in the state.

Dr. Manmohan Singh, Director of the Meteorological Centre, Shimla apprised the Chief Minister of the various facilities available in the state and the proposal to upgrade and expand the centre to meet the emerging requirements for the more efficient functioning for the benefit of the state and its people. He said that the with the upgradation the state would be capable to taken every precautionary step to save the life and property of the people usually damaged due to heavy rains and flash floods.