The Doppler radar station in Paradip. Telegraph picture

Paradip, Sept. 12: The Indian Meteorological Department has decided to install the German-made Doppler radar system in Paradip instead of the Chinese-manufactured system for generation of foolproof weather data and advanced cyclone-warning information.

The commissioning of Paradip Doppler radar station got delayed after the ministry of defence had disapproved the system with China-made gadgets from national security point of view.

“The department of earth science of the Union government took up the matter after the state government had urged the authorities for expeditious commissioning of the project. The ministry of defence has agreed for launch of the project. The Chinese system has been rejected. Now, the Paradip station would have an improvised German-made Doppler radar,” said Odisha director of the Indian Meteorological Department Sarat Chandra Sahu.

“The China-made Doppler radar system is still in our possession. After the Union defence ministry directed us not to install the China-made set, it is now under our lock and key and has not been put to use. The building and other infrastructure are ready for launch of the state-of-the-art weather station. Once the German-made system is provided to us, the station would get operational without any further delay,” he said.

The Union ministry had raised the security concerns. It was apprehended that the in-built chips in the radar might help pass on vital information to the manufacturing country, said another official.

The installation of Doppler radar is important to the region as the area has a history of natural calamities, including cyclone, storm and tidal surge. To aggravate the matter further, the analogous radar, put in place at Paradip weather warning station, has gone out of order leaving the advance weather and cyclone warning system haywire.

The radar, commissioned in 1986, has turned defunct. “Now, we are solely dependent on the weathermen at Vishakhapatnam and Calcutta for forecast update,” said Sahu.

“In recent months, the weather, storm, low pressure and cyclone warning from Paradip radar station is way off the target. Predictions are often going wrong. The fishermen communities, especially those engaged in sea fishing, do not have faith and trust in their warning system,” said Narayan Haldar, president of the Traditional Marine Fish Workers’ Association.