Launching ‘Mission Mausam’ to make India a climate-smart nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday stressed the need to work with future requirements in mind, including developing warning systems for natural disasters like earthquakes.

He encouraged scientists, research scholars, and institutions like the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to work towards new breakthroughs.

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Speaking at the 150th Foundation Day celebrations of India Meteorological Department (IMD) at Bharat Mandapam here, the Prime Minister said meteorology is crucial for a country’s disaster management capabilities and added that to minimise the impact of natural disasters, the efficiency of meteorology must be maximised.

Modi highlighted that India has consistently understood this importance and is now able to mitigate the effects of disasters that were once considered inevitable.

Recalling the devastation caused by the cyclonic storm in Kandla, Kutch in 1998, and the super cyclone in Odisha in 1999, which resulted in thousands of deaths, the Prime Minister said however, in recent years, despite numerous major cyclones and disasters, India has successfully minimised or eliminated loss of life in most cases.

He credited the significant role of the meteorological department in these successes. He noted that the integration of science and preparedness has also reduced economic losses worth billions of rupees, creating resilience in the economy and boosting investor confidence.

The Prime Minister launched ‘Mission Mausam’ with the goal of making India a ‘Weather-ready and Climate-smart’ nation. The Mission aims to achieve this by developing cutting-edge weather surveillance technologies and systems, implementing high-resolution atmospheric observations, next-generation radars and satellites, and high-performance computers.

It will also focus on improving the understanding of weather and climate processes, provide air quality data that will help strategize weather management and intervention in the long run.

Modi also released the IMD Vision-2047 document for weather resilience and climate change adaptation. It includes plans for weather forecasting, weather management, and climate change mitigation. Modi also unveiled a commemorative postage stamp and coin on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Modi said research and innovation in scientific institutions are part of the temperament of the new India, IMD’s infrastructure and technology have expanded unprecedentedly in the last 10 years.

The Prime Minister announced the launch of ‘Mission Mausam,’ symbolising India’s commitment to a sustainable future and future readiness, ensuring the country is prepared for all weather conditions and becoming a climate-smart nation.

“We have launched ‘Mission Mausam’ to make India a climate-smart nation, Mission Mausam is a symbol of India’s commitment towards sustainable future and future readiness,” Modi said.

He said progress in science and its full utilisation are key to a country’s global image.

Modi highlighted that India’s meteorological advancements have strengthened its disaster management capacity, benefiting the entire world.

He noted that India’s Flash Flood Guidance system provides information to Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. He added that India as ‘Vishwa Bandhu’, always stood first to help other countries during natural calamities. This, he further added, has raised India’s global image. He commended IMD scientists for their significant contributions to this achievement.

“Due to our meteorological advancement, our disaster management capacity has been built, the whole world is benefiting from this, our Flash Flood Guidance system is also providing information to Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka,” the Prime Minister said.

He said the 150 years of the IMD represent not just the journey of the department but also a proud journey of modern science and technology in India.

The Prime Minister said the progress of a country’s scientific institutions reflects its awareness of science.

Modi said research and innovation in scientific institutions are integral to New India’s temperament. Over the past decade, he added that IMD’s infrastructure and technology have seen unprecedented expansion, with significant increases in the number of Doppler Weather Radars, Automatic Weather Stations, Runway Weather Monitoring Systems, and District-wise Rainfall Monitoring Stations, all of which have been upgraded.

The Prime Minister highlighted that meteorology in India benefits greatly from space and digital technology. He noted that India has two meteorological observatories in Antarctica, named Maitri and Bharati, and last year, supercomputers Ark and Arunika were introduced, enhancing IMD’s reliability.