The Uttar Pradesh cabinet has approved the implementation of the Weather Information Network and Data System (WINDS), which involves the installation of 826 Automatic Weather Stations and an Automatic Rain Gauge (ARG) in 57,702 village panchayats across the state.
The proposed system is touted to function as a robust weather monitoring mechanism, providing granular, standard, and timely weather databases. Its primary objectives include strengthening advanced farmer advisory services, facilitating crop planning, aiding in crop insurance processes, improving disaster management, and facilitating crop loss assessment.
An official said, “The cabinet has approved the agriculture department’s proposal to implement WINDS in the state.”
He further explained, “The Revenue department has already installed rain gauges in several village panchayats. The plan is to integrate automatic weather stations to be installed at block headquarters with rain gauges in villages to generate scientific and reliable weather data.”
WINDS is a programmatic initiative by the union government to bolster the country’s weather data infrastructure. The aim is to provide high-quality weather datasets through a single digital platform, enabling widespread use of weather variables in agriculture.