Bhubaneswar: Keeping in view that Odisha is prone to natural disasters like cyclones and floods; the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has initiated measures to reinforce the advanced warning system in the state.
Talking to the media on the sidelines of the Utkal University convocation ceremony on Thursday, IMD Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra said that his department plans to install cutting-edge radar in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar for advanced information on natural disasters. “An advance flood warning system will be implemented in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar by 2025,” he said.
Similarly, by the end of this year, the Doppler radar system will be operational in Balasore and Sambalpur. “Half of the work on installing the Doppler radar in Balasore is complete and the equipment has arrived in Sambalpur,” Mohapatra added.
It is worth mentioning here that the Doppler radar is a specific type of radar that employs the use of Doppler frequency shifting to determine the velocity or movement of an object. It can see not only the precipitation in a thunderstorm (through its ability to reflect microwave energy or reflectivity) but also the motion of the precipitation along the radar beam. In other words, it can measure how fast rain or hail is moving toward or away from the radar.
In addition, another radar will also be established in Bhubaneswar. Odisha is always facing natural calamities as it is located in the prime location of the weather station. “We are going to make more arrangements in the state by taking advance information during storms, floods, and natural calamities,” said Mohapatra.
