Bhubaneswar, Aug. 23: The commissioning of the doppler weather radar at Gopalpur is expected within two months.

The radar has been supplied by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and Bharat Electronics Limited. The final trial and the subsequent handover are awaited, said a source in the Indian Meteorological Department here.

Isro scientist Devendra Pradhan told The Telegraph: "We have approached Bharat Electronics Limited, which has supplied the equipment, to fix a date within a month for the field inspection and conduction of the trial. Once we get the reply, a joint team of experts from Bharat Electronics Limited and Isro will go to Gopalpur for the trial."

"After the successful trial, the radar will be finally handed over to the Indian Meteorological Department," he said.

Asked whether any technical snag had been detected in the radar, Pradhan replied: "No, the system is fine."

However, there are some earthing problems, he said.

Director of Bhubaneswar regional meteorological centre Sarat Kumar Sahu said he visited the radar station on August 11 with a technical team. "But, the final trial and subsequent handover have not been done. It depends on Isro," said Sahu.

The installation of doppler radar at Gopalpur is necessary to ensure that the cyclone-prone coastal belt of the state gets prior warning of natural calamities. Gopalpur was the landing point of the severe cyclonic storm Phailin in October 2013. Earlier, the 1999 supercyclone had devastated Ganjam district.

But, the commissioning of the doppler radar has been delayed due to a delay in final trial run. Sources said the radar's range would be 250km to 500km. "The cloud pictures of Koraput and Malkangiri on the south and south west are not clearly visible (from the radar)," said another meteorology official.

"Isro has been apprised of it. We hope their experts will come and fix the issue shortly," said the official.

Establishment of doppler radar stations is at an advanced stage of completion at Gopalpur, Sambalpur and Balasore.

While the radar has been installed at Gopalpur, civil construction of radar station-building have been completed in Sambalpur and Balasore. The radars for the two stations are awaited from the central government.