India’s climate preparedness gets a boost as Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh, unveils major initiatives on Earth Sciences Ministry’s foundation day

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, marked the 19th Foundation Day of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) by launching several new scientific tools and digital services aimed at enhancing India's climate preparedness. The event, held in Delhi, underscored the Ministry's significant transformation over the past decade, improving its visibility, outreach, and impact on daily life. He emphasised that science and innovation are crucial for both ecological sustainability and India's future economic growth. The new initiatives include rainfall monitoring systems, crop-weather calendars, the Bharat Forecast System Extended Range Prediction (BharatFS-ERP), high-resolution rainfall datasets, updated wave atlases, seabed charts, air quality forecasting systems, marine biodiversity reports, and seismic microzonation studies for four Indian cities. Additionally, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) released a new documentary titled 'Life Saving Impact'. 
He highlighted the substantial growth in meteorological infrastructure over the last ten years, noting an increase in Doppler weather radars from 15 to 41, alongside a doubling of seismic and weather stations, upper-air observation systems, lightning detection networks, and rain gauges. He praised the IMD's enhanced cyclone forecasting capabilities, which now provide extreme weather alerts with a lead time of up to 10 days, significantly reducing casualties in recent storms. He also pointed out the Ministry's contributions to agriculture and fisheries, with over seven lakh farmers using the Meghdoot app for advisories and fishermen relying on daily SMS updates for safe fishing zones. He also mentioned the establishment of six Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) desalination plants in the Lakshadweep islands, providing 1.5 lakh litres of potable water daily, transforming them from water-scarce to water-rich regions.

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