Automatic weather stations in blocks soon

Bhubaneswar: Automatic weather stations (AWS) will be set up at block levels while automatic rain gauges (ARG) will be installed in every gram panchayat, as the state government Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sky-met Weather Services Pvt Ltd for implementation of Weather Information Network Data System (WINDS) project.

According to sources, the project is expected to benefit not only farmers but also the broader sectors of insurance and disaster management as it would create a robust and real-time weather monitoring system. The agreement was signed in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, who also holds the portfolios of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy. The WINDS project, initiated by the Union government, is aimed at improving weather data accessibility and enhancing the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).

The project will involve installation of automatic weather stations (AWS) at block levels and automatic rain gauges (ARG) at gram panchayat levels across the state. “Accurate weather data is crucial for better crop planning, timely risk assessment, and efficient claim settlement. This initiative will empower our farmers and encourage them to take up multiple cropping,” said Singh Deo at the MoU signing event. The project will be jointly implemented by the Agriculture department and Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), under Revenue & Disaster Management department. The state’s financial contribution for the project will come from PMFBY budget, managed by the Cooperation department. The pact was inked and exchanged by Director of Agriculture & Food Production Subham Saxena and CEO of Sky-met Weather Services Pvt Ltd Jogesh Patil. Senior officials, including Agriculture Department’s Additional Secretary Ganeswar Jena and other department officials, were present.

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