Revamping the IMD: A Call for Modernization Amidst Climate Challenges

Jairam Ramesh emphasizes the need for a major renewal of the IMD's organizational structure amidst its 150th anniversary, acknowledging its improved computational capabilities. With climate change affecting monsoon patterns, Ramesh highlights the implications for agriculture and urban management, urging for faster enhancement and modern structural updates.

In a forward-looking statement on Tuesday, former environment minister Jairam Ramesh underscored the growing computational capabilities of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in recent decades, while advocating for a significant overhaul of its organizational framework.

As the IMD celebrated its 150th anniversary, Ramesh lauded its historical contributions but emphasized the urgent need for modernization to tackle the shifting patterns of monsoon precipitated by climate change. Such changes, he noted, carry profound implications for the nation's agriculture and urban water management strategies.

Highlighting an increase in extreme weather events despite stable rainfall averages, Ramesh called for a more rapid expansion of the IMD's resources and organizational restructuring to meet contemporary challenges effectively. Established in 1875, the IMD remains crucial to India's weather forecasting, disaster management, and public safety initiatives.

(With inputs from agencies.)