The 150th Foundation Day of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), celebrated on January 14, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, was marked by the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On this historic occasion, he launched ‘Mission Mausam,’ an initiative aimed at transforming India into a ‘Weather-ready and Climate-smart’ nation through advanced weather surveillance technologies, high-resolution atmospheric observations, next-generation radars, satellites, and high-performance computing systems.
Historical Context and Evolution of IMD
- Foundation Year: 1875, in response to catastrophic events like the Calcutta cyclone (1864) and monsoon failures in 1866 and 1871, underlining the need for centralized meteorological services.
- Significant Replacements: By 2023, all mercury barometers at Class I observatories were replaced by digital barometers in compliance with the UNEP Minamata Convention due to mercury’s health hazards.
Key Achievements (2014–2024)
- Technological Advancements:
- Expansion of Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) network from 15 radars in 2014 to 39 in 2023, increasing land coverage by 35%.
- Development of models like:
- High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) for nowcasting rainfall and reflectivity.
- Electric Weather Research and Forecasting (EWRF) for lightning density and rainfall forecasts.
- Deployment of 200 Agro-AWS stations to enhance agro-meteorological services.
- Maintenance of 25 GPS-based PB stations, with 20 manufactured by Indian companies.
- Enhanced Public Engagement:
- Launch of Crowdsource Web Interface (2021) and the Public Observation Mobile App (2022) for real-time weather feedback.
- Release of Mausamgram in 2024, a location-specific meteogram for public use.
- Improved Monitoring Systems:
- Increase in Automatic Rain Gauges (ARGs) from 1,350 in 2014 to 1,382 in 2023.
- Expansion of District-wise Rainfall Monitoring Scheme (DRMS) stations from 3,955 in 2014 to 5,896 in 2023.
- Cyclone Forecasting:
- Successful prediction of cyclones such as Phailin (2013), Fani (2019), Amphan (2020), and Dana (2024).
- Significant reduction in cyclone-related deaths from 10,000 in 1999 to zero fatalities during 2020–2024 due to accurate early warnings.
