Eight weather stations set up in Lahaul-Spiti

Tribune News Service

Dipender Manta

Mandi, June 9

The Pragya India, an NGO, in collaboration with the district administration, Lahaul and Spiti, has set up eight Automated Weather Stations (AWS) in Lahaul and Spiti district to provide pre-disaster alert to residents. The move is aimed at building capacity for grassroots disaster resilience in the Himalayan region. Deputy Commissioner Neeraj Kumar today inaugurated these AWSes.

The AWS equipment have been installed in Keylong, Sissu, Khangsar, Tandi, Jobrang, Gemur, Darcha Dangma and Koksar villages in the district. These AWS will collect the data on weather on seven parameters for pre-disaster alert.

The DC unveiled the equipment and said the use of AWS stations for measuring weather data on solar radiations, lightning strike, precipitation and wind speed which will benefit the local community.

Murari Sahu and Rishab Kumar, Pragya NGO, said that an AWS was a very sophisticated and cost-effective measuring, recording, transmitting and monitoring machine which consumes very low power and can run on rechargeable batteries without any human intervention.

“Sensors used in the AWS have been calibrated by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The locations for the AWS sites and parameters were carefully selected after considerable research and fieldwork,” said Murari.

“Currently, Pragya India is running a Disaster Management Project called the DMS-Himalaya at 12 select districts in the states of Uttarakhand (Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag and Chamoli); Himachal Pradesh (Chamba, Kangra and Lahaul & Spiti); Assam (Biswanath, Lakhimpur and Sonitpur); Meghalaya (East Khasi Hills) and Ladakh UT (Leh) to improve disaster management, preparedness and response in the Himalayan region and to empower the local communities to be disaster resilient and become agents of change,” he remarked.

“As a part of this project, Pragya India has installed eight AWS in this tribal district with the support of the district administration. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has also been signed between the district administration and Pragya India to carry out various activities under the DMS-Himalaya project,” he added.

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