To empower villages and make rural communities climate resilient, the Union Government launched weather forecasts at panchayat levels.
The Gram Panchayat Level Weather Forecasting, was launched in Vigyan Bhawan at New Delhi, on October 24.
Developed with the collaboration of Ministry of Panchayati Raj and India Meteorological Department, the initiative will work at the grass root levels for climate preparedness.
At the launch of the initiative, the Union Minister of Panchayati Raj, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, said that weather forecasts will be a milestone in empowering rural areas and boosting the agriculture based economy.
The Union Minister also emphasised on the initiative weather forecasting at a gram panchayat level is a key step towards empowering the Indian economy and enhancing the Ease of Living for rural populations.
About Gram Panchayat Level Forecasting Initiative
The weather forecast initiative will give a five day weather forecast and will be updated on an hourly basis. This initiative will help the communities at village level to proper plan agricultural activities and be prepared for weather related updates.
The weather forecast is an important step towards localised forecasting. The localised weather forecasting at gram panchayat level is being made available for the first time.
The weather forecast initiative is a part of the government’s 100 Days Agenda, which will empower rural areas by giving direct help to farmers and villagers across the country. The joint effort will work towards making local governance strong at the grass root and also promote sustainable activities in agriculture. It will strengthen local communities to tackle challenges arising due to climate change.
The weather updates will be delivered using digital platforms, e- GramSwaraj which helps in project tracking and resource management, The Meri Panchayat app which allows people to interact with representatives and report issues and Gram Manchitra which is a spatial planning tool which will provide geospatial information about the development projects.
Under the initiative the panchayats will receive information on weather parameters like temperature, rain, wind speed and cloud cover. Alert through SMS will be given in case of extreme conditions like heavy rains and cyclones. It will help in protecting lives and minimising financial losses like property and crops.
The localised forecast will be available to more than 2.5 lakh gram panchayat, the official statement said.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology & Earth Sciences at the launch event highlighted the government’s effort to modernise agriculture including Panchayat level weather forecasts.
The official statement released said that the initiative utilises the Mausamgram platform, which delivers precise weather forecasts. It gives updates on temperature, rainfall, wind humidity and cloud condition.
Training workshop was also organised for over 200 participants. The workshop provided hands-on training to the participants about the use of weather forecast tools. The participants included elected representatives from Panchayati Raj Institution and State Panchayati Raj officials.
Significance of the Initiative.
In recent times climate change is a burning issue. Climate crises and unpredictable weather patterns like heavy rains, prolonged drought over areas are the causes that affect agricultural productivity and in turn the rural communities who are most dependent on agricultural activities suffer.
The launch of the initiative of providing localised weather updates at the gram panchayat level has a great significance. The information made available through this system will empower farmers to make decisions regarding agricultural practices like sowing, irrigation and harvesting of crops. This initiative will enable climate resilience among communities and make people aware about disaster preparedness. The weather forecast is an innovative step that will help to transform agriculture and improve and increase the rural economy
