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Staff Reporter
GANGTOK, May 12: The Indian
Meteorological Department,
Meteorological Centre at Baluwakhani
conducted the first district level
agro-meteorological advisory services
stake holders meet 2008 in connection
with the implementation of integrated
agro-meteorological services in the
country here today morning.
The meeting was aimed at developing a
mechanism and prepare a road map to
communicate the need based Agromet
advisories to the farmers of the State.
Speaking as the chief guest, the Head of
Agromet Services and Additional Director
General of Meteorology, Agromet
Services, New Delhi, Dr LS Rathore
stated that weather forecasting is a
challenging task in a hilly terrain
state like Sikkim wherein there is
intense and diverse climatic conditions
all depending on elevation and height of
a location (place) above sea level.
He also urged the mediapersons from the
print media to keep a special column for
weather forecasting in newspapers so as
to update both the local populace and in
particular the tourists about weather
forecast of a region. He further
emphasized at highlighting the weather
information through internet besides
other multi-channel dissemination
system.
Dr LR Meena, Deputy Director General of
Meteorology, Regional Meteorological
Centre, Kolkata on his part stated that
the weather forecast of some 600
identified districts across the country
including the four districts of Sikkim
will commence from June 1, this year
whereby he urged the people to try and
make the most of this opportunity.
“The need of the hour is to have a
standard meteorology centre with the
latest technology equipment which can
update the people with timely and
accurate weather forecasting at a given
appointed time,” he said.
Dr. Meena also said that a special area
for Sikkim has been carved out in the
website of Indian Meteorological
Department at www.imd.gov.in to
highlight the weather forecasting of the
State in regular intervals of time.
Earlier, K Seetharam, Director-In-Charge
of Agromet Advisory Service Unit,
Gangtok in his welcome address
highlighted at the commitments of Indian
Metrological Department to modernize the
observation system, analysis and
forecasting system to improve weather
services. The agro-meteorological
services unit has also taken up the
major task of implementation of
integrated agro-meteorological services
in the state of Sikkim with an idea to
guide and offer possible help to the
farming community of the state by
providing agricultural advisories based
on location specific weather forecasts,
he added.
“For the purpose of studies on climate
change and glaciers, the department has
already approved installation of 13 snow
gauge stations, 10 automatic rain gauge
stations, 4 automatic weather stations
at four district headquarters, the
director in charge informed.
He also urged the Deputy Director
General of Meteorology, Regional
Meteorological Centre, Kolkata to
provide requisite assistance and
guidance in the present endeavour of the
Sikkim government towards recommending
for more number of automatic weather
stations at 7 places alongside 25
automatic rain gauge stations in high
altitude regions of the state. According
to him, the state government has shown
ample interest in weather forecasting
service, climate change studies and
glaciology studies.
In his deliberations, the director in
charge further urged the Head of Agromet
Services, New Delhi to set up an
agro-meteorological field unit in the
state to provide adequate technical
support for agricultural advisories for
farmers.
The inaugural function of the meeting
was also addressed by SK Sinha, Director
of Food Security and Agriculture
Department, Dr H Rahman, Joint Director,
ICAR, Tadong and Ambalagan, Deputy
Secretary of the State Science and
Technology Department.
The day long meeting also saw
presentation on Integrated Agromet
Advisory Services in India by Dr N
Chattopadhyay, Director of Agricultural
Meteorology Division, IMD Pune, opinion
on implementation of Agromet Services at
District Level by district agricultural
officer and scientists from Krishi
Vigyan Kendra along with panel
discussions and recommendations. |
