IMD undertook installation of Agro-Automatic Weather Station

4 August 2021.

Introduction:

Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has undertaken installation of Agro-Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) in order to provide exact weather forecast to people with special focus on farmers.

Highlights

• This information was provided by Science & Technology Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
• Installation was done at District Agromet Units (DAMUs) located in Krishi Vigyan Kendras under Indian Council of Agriculture Research network.
• Presently, 43 million farmers in India receive “Agromet Advisories” through SMS directly.
• Agro-AWS is being installed at 200 DAMUs to provide block level Agromet Advisory Services (AAS) under the scheme called Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS).

Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS)

• The GKMS scheme as well as Weather-based operational AAS are rendered by IMD in association with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and State Agricultural Universities.
• This scheme is a move towards weather-based crop and livestock management strategies and operations to benefit the farming community in India.
• Under this scheme, medium range weather forecast is generated at district and block level.
•  On the basis of forecast, Agromet Advisories are prepared and communicated to the farmers by Agromet Field Units (AMFUs) co-located with State Agricultural Universities, and DAMUs at KVKs. Advisories are communicated on every Tuesday and Friday that help farmers to take decision on day-to-day agricultural operations.

How warnings are issued?

• IMD also monitors rainfall situation & weather aberrations to issue timely alerts & warnings to farmers under GKMS scheme.
• SMS-based alerts and warning for extreme weather events are issued along with suitable remedial measures in order to take timely operations.
• Agromet Advisories are communicated to the farmers using multichannel dissemination system such as print and electronic media, Doordarshan, radio, internet as well as SMS using mobile phones through Kisan Portal.

Meghdoot App

Ministry of Earth Sciences also launched a mobile App called ‘Meghdoot’  to help farmers to get weather information, alerts and agromet advisories specific to their districts.