Need to develop quake alert system: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged scientists to develop warning systems for earthquakes while noting that advanced weather forecasts have significantly reduced casualties and minimised economic losses caused by cyclones. Addressing a function to celebrate 150 years of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), he also lauded the institution as a symbol of country's scientific journey.

He said the advancements made by the IMD has not only strengthened the country’s disaster management capability, but also benefited the world.

“The progress of a country's scientific institutions reflects its awareness of science. Over the past decade, IMD's infrastructure and technology have seen unprecedented expansion, with significant increases in the number of doppler weather radars, automatic weather stations, runway weather monitoring systems and district-wise rainfall monitoring stations, all of which have been upgraded,” Modi said.

He said IMD’s flash flood guidance system provides information to Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, which has raised India’s global image.

Modi also inaugurated Mission Mausam at the event. The Cabinet approved Mission Mausam in 2024 to augment weather forecasting capabilities by installing radars and weather stations.

“We have launched Mission Mausam to make India weather ready and climate smart. Meteorology offers the most important support for the disaster management capability of any country. To minimise the impact of natural disasters, we need to maximise the efficiency of meteorology,” he said.

He pointed out that a decade ago, only 10 per cent of farmers and livestock owners used weather-related advice, but today, this number has increased to over 50 per cent. Modi highlighted that previously, families of lakhs of marine fishermen were worried when they went to sea, but now, with IMD's cooperation, fishermen receive timely warnings.

These real-time updates enhance safety and strengthen sectors like agriculture and the blue economy, Modi added. Recalling the devastation caused by the 1998 cyclonic storm in Kandla, Kutch, and the super cyclone in Odisha in 1999, which resulted in thousands of deaths, Modi said in recent years, despite numerous major cyclones and disasters, India has successfully minimised loss of life in most cases.

Discussing India's rich history of meteorological expertise, Modi said Tamil Nadu's Sangam literature and the folk literature of Ghagh Bhaddari in the north contain extensive information on meteorology.

Modi mentioned ancient texts such as Krishi Parashar and Brihat Samhita, which studied cloud formation and types, and the mathematical work on planetary positions.