Paradip, Nov. 4: Orissa’s lone analogous radar, which was put in place for advance weather and cyclone warning updates, has become defunct.

The station, which was commissioned in 1986 in Paradip port town, has outlived its utility with the prediction capability of the radar dipping almost on a day-to-day basis. The analogous radar had a 20-year lifespan when it became operational. But the radar is now in its 25th year of existence.

To all practical purposes, the advance weather warning system has stopped working in Paradip, brining into question the much-touted governmental disaster-preparedness programme in the cyclone-prone coastal districts of Orissa.

Harried meteorology personnel are now entirely dependent on the weathermen at Vishakhapatnam and Calcutta for weather forecasts.

“We are facing difficulties while making weather and cyclone forecasts. This is because the analogous radar is steadily losing its sensitivity and reception capacity. Although the radar is still functional, the accuracy in weather and cyclone prediction has dropped in recent times. It has already crossed its 20 year lifetime,” said J.R. Prasad, head of the radar station in Paradip.

The analogous radar system at the meteorology station here is not very up-to-date. Its advance weather warning parameters are considerably low in comparison to latest weather forecast technology. Proposals to replace it with a state-of-the-art doppler radar are yet to get under way.

“In recent months, weather, storm, low pressure and cyclone warnings from the Paradip radar station have been way off the target. Their prediction is often wrong. Fishermen, especially those engaged in hazardous sea fishing, no longer trust the weather warnings issued by the station from time to time,” said Narayan Haldar, president, Traditional Marine Fish Workers’ Association. “We have written to the higher authorities for replacement of the outdated radar. We are hopeful the authorities will take remedial steps,” the radar station chief Prasad said.

The commissioning of a doppler radar for generation of foolproof weather data, especially with regard to advance information about cyclones, storms and cloudbursts, had been delayed on technical grounds, said officials. “The building and other infrastructure are ready for the launch of the state-of-the-art weather station. In all likelihood, the analogous radar station will be refurbished very shortly,” said Sarat Kumar Sahu, director of the Orissa branch of the Indian Meteorological Department.