PIL filed over delay in Doppler radar installation

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Orissa High Court by a resident of Berhampur regarding delay in inception of the proposed Doppler radar station at Gopalpur in Ganjam district of Odisha for accurate weather prediction for this cyclone-prone region.

According to petitioner Subash Padhi and his lawyer Siddharath Das, this Doppler radar is urgently needed for the residents in this Odisha coast town, especially for those living in coastal regions of south Odisha. They urged the High Court to intervene in the matter so that this proposed Doppler radar could become functional as early as possible to provide vital information about weather changes that can drastically affect human life and livelihood.

Infrastructure ready

Speaking to

The Hindu , Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Odisha, director S. C. Sahu said work of the building and other infrastructure of the proposed Doppler radar at Gopalpur was almost ready. It needs clearance from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) before inception. The radar has been indigenously built by ISRO and BHEL. A joint team from both these agencies is expected to visit the project site of Doppler radar station for necessary inspection and issue of clearance for its functioning, said Mr Sahu. He hoped that the Doppler radar station at Gopalpur may become functional in next few months.

For the radar station at Gopalpur, the Odisha government has provided land and constructed building for the project free of cost.

In November last year, the IMD had installed first Doppler radar in Odisha at Paradeep. It may be noted that Paradeep and its adjoining areas were ravaged by the super cyclone that hit Odisha coast in 1999. Gopalpur coast and Ganjam district had faced wrath of super cyclone and Phailin cyclone of 2013. Doppler radars help in accurate and timely prediction of cyclonic storms, excessive rainfall, thunderstorms, hailstorms with earlier than the traditional radars. It can predict about weather condition in an area of 300 km radius.

After Paradeep and Gopalpur, the IMD also has plans to install two more Doppler radar stations at Sambalpur and Balasore in next phase.

Use of increased number of Doppler radars is expected to help in pinpointing exact location where a cyclone will hit and what time. The traditional analogue radars earlier used for weather forecast only roughly indicated possible places where cyclone may hit. It is always said that delay in provision of accurate weather prediction had led to large number of deaths during super cyclone of 1999 that hit Odisha coast.

Doppler radars help in pinpointing exact location where a cyclone will hit and what time