E-Paper
‘4 cr SMS alerts were issued during cyclone Biparjoy in Gujarat’
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, IMD, said that at least 4 crore SMS alerts were generated for individuals in Gujarat during cyclone Biparjoy to give timely updates and prevent losses
Pune
Weather scientists are concerned about the increasing frequency of extreme weather events in the country. At the same time, in order to avoid losses, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) is working on improving communication technology. During Cyclone Biparjoy, at least 4 crore SMS alerts were generated for individuals in Gujarat so that they could receive timely updates and substantial losses may be prevented, according to Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, IMD.
He further emphasises that, in comparison to previous such events, IMD has clearly succeeded in raising awareness among stakeholders in recent years.
The Cyclone formed in the Arabian Sea in June and made its landfall on the Gujarat coast. As per the official data from the Ministry of Home Affairs, around 1.33 lakh hectares of the area were affected, and an estimated total economic loss is projected as ₹1212.50 crore in agriculture and horticulture crops in the affected areas.
“The cyclone was predicted earlier, and the authorities were informed about the same and efforts were taken to inform people about the possible threat of the cyclone. Therefore, a warning alert was issued with the help of mobile SMS, and at least 4 crores of such alerts were sent across Gujarat. Similarly, in other areas where such events are expected to be happening, all possible efforts are being taken to avoid loss of life or properties,” Mohapatra said.
He was speaking at a public seminar organised at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER). In his lecture, Mohapatra also highlighted the advancement of IMD in early warning systems and long and short-range forecasts. He also expressed the need for technological upgradation as well as the enhancement of the IMD network.
While answering a question about the recent Uttarakhand floods, Mohapatra said, “When the Kedarnath flood tragedy happened in 2013, there were no proper systems to predict such incidents. In 2013 we had just 15 radars across India none in Uttarakhand at that time. Now we have 37 radars, and these numbers are expected to increase further in the upcoming days. Similarly, we are receiving data from 2 satellites providing observations every 15 minutes. All these things have made a significant impact in weather forecasting.”
