IMD to create a wider network to ensure weather predictions reach farmers

Pune: India Meteorological Department (IMD) has been using latest technology to predict weather forecast but when it comes to making it available to the end users, there is still a long way to go.LS Rathod, director general of IMD, said that only 22 per cent of the farmers in the country get the weather prediction made by the met office.IMD has decided to take help of NGOs to create a wider network so that the prediction reaches to the farmers. Keeping this in mind, IMD is starting a pilot project in four states of Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab and Kerala.Rathod was speaking at a seminar organised by South Asian Climate Outlook Forum on Tuesday. The three-day seminar is held at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pashan.In his address, Rathod said, "We have made tremendous development in terms of predicting weather forecast but when it comes to taking this forecast to the end users such as farmers and fishermen we are not able to get the desired number of users. Hence IMD has come out with a plan where IMD will be developing a better network in 270 districts which are selected for the project."