Bhubaneswar, Dec. 18: A Doppler radar will shortly come up at Sambalpur, secretary of the Union ministry of earth sciences M. Rajeevan said here today.
Rajeevan, a renowned climate scientist, said Doppler radars would make forecasting weather and alerting farmers about natural calamities easier.
Speaking on the sidelines of Tropmet-2016, a national symposium on tropical meteorological sciences inaugurated here today, he said his ministry was working to ensure installation of advanced weather forecasting systems in Odisha.
Rajeevan said talks were being held with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for installing the radar in Balasore district.
He said Odisha faces weather phenomena such as cyclones and heat wave on a regular basis.
"There is a need for an advanced weather forecasting mechanism to alert people in advance in all parts of the state," Rajeevan added.
Earlier, state agriculture and farmers' empowerment secretary Manoj Ahuja spoke on the importance of accurate weather forecasting for farmers in Odisha.
Stating that weather in the state's coastal area is different from its northern part, the agriculture and farmers' empowerment secretary said: "The vagaries of nature cannot be avoided but they can be predicted to minimise losses."
Highlighting the relevance of climate change and its effect on Odisha, president of the Indian Meteorological Society, Ajit Tyagi said about 100 cyclones develop every year while Odisha accounts for face-off with six per cent of them.
"But even though the amount is less, damages are significant and severe. In spite of technological advancements in meteorological sciences, there is more to be done such as spatial forecast of climatic disturbances," he said.
The theme of the symposium is Climate Change and Coastal Vulnerability. The programme will continue till December 21.
As many as 550 theses and research papers will be discussed during the four-day programme. Organised by a private university in collaboration with the state government and the Indian Meteorological Society, the programme highlights climate change issues especially vulnerabilities on the coast of Bay of Bengal.
The event offers a unique opportunity to network with planners, researchers, educationists, extension personnel and different levels of stakeholders to share their experiences and expertise to reduce the impact of climate variability and natural disasters and to make recommendations on adaptation and mitigation for sustainable development, said secretary, Indian Meteorological Society, Bhubaneswar chapter, P.K .Bal.
