Rajiv Ranjan Singh to launch weather forecasts at gram panchayat level
The event will be held on 24th October 2024 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi
Villages to become climate resilient: Weather forecasts will now be available
to gram panchayats
Gram panchayats to Get Access to 5-Day and Hourly weather forecasts
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR), in collaboration with the India
Meteorological Department (IMD), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), is set to
launch a landmark and a
transformative initiative to provide Gram Panchayats with 5 days daily weather
forecasting and provision to check hourly weather forecast -- Gram Panchayat-Level Weather Forecasting --
on 24 October 2024 at Vigyan
Bhawan, New Delhi.
This initiative, aimed at empowering rural communities and enhancing disaster
preparedness at the grassroots, will directly benefit farmers and villagers
across the country. As part of the Government’s 100 Days Agenda, this
initiative strengthens grassroots governance and promotes sustainable
agricultural practices, making rural populations more climate-resilient and
better equipped to tackle environmental challenges.
This is the first
time that localised weather forecasts will be available at the Gram Panchayat
level, supported by IMD’s expanded sensor coverage. The forecasts will be disseminated through the
Ministry’s digital platforms: e-GramSwaraj,
which enables efficient governance, project tracking, and resource management;
the Meri Panchayat app, which
fosters community engagement by allowing citizens to interact with local
representatives and report issues; and Gram
Manchitra, a spatial planning tool that provides geospatial insights
for development projects.
The launch will be in the presence of Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Minister of
Panchayati Raj, Dr Jitendra
Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology & Earth Sciences,
and Prof SP Singh Baghel, Minister of State for Panchayati Raj along
with Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Dr M
Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, DG, India
Meteorological Department, Alok
Prem Nagar, Joint
Secretary, Ministry of
Panchayati Raj and other senior
officials from the Ministries of Panchayati Raj, Agriculture, Rural
Development, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Department of
Science and Technology (DST), and other key stakeholders.
A
Training Workshop on “Weather Forecasts at the Gram Panchayat Level” will be
organised to mark the launch of this pioneering initiative. The workshop will
be attended by more than 200 participants, including Elected Representatives of
Panchayati Raj Institutions and State Panchayati Raj officials. This training
session will equip Panchayat representatives and functionaries with the
knowledge and skills to effectively utilize weather forecasting tools and resources
at the grassroots level, empowering them to make informed decisions and enhance
climate resilience in their communities.
This endeavour, a key component of the Government’s 100
Days Agenda, is a significant stride toward boosting local-level governance and
cultivating climate-resilient villages. As weather patterns become increasingly
unpredictable, the introduction of weather forecasting at the Gram Panchayat
level will serve as a crucial tool in safeguarding agricultural livelihoods and
enhancing rural preparedness against natural disasters. Gram Panchayats will
receive daily updates on temperature, rainfall, wind speed, and cloud cover,
empowering them to make critical decisions in agriculture, such as planning
sowing, irrigation, and harvesting activities. These tools will also strengthen
disaster preparedness and infrastructure planning. Furthermore, SMS alerts will
be sent to Panchayat representatives regarding extreme weather events like
cyclones and heavy rainfall, ensuring immediate action to protect lives, crops,
and property. This endeavour is a transformative step toward building
climate-resilient communities at the grassroots level.