India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra on Monday said that it is getting ready to provide block-level and panchayat-level weather forecasts in Mizoram.
The IMD, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, signed an MoU with Mizoram’s Directorate of Science and Technology (DST), under which it will provide meteorological data for climate study and weather services.
Chief Minister Lalduhoma and IMD chief Mohapatra were present in the signing ceremony.
Mohapatra highlighted the importance of this MoU through “Mission Mausam” and the IMD’s future plans and services to the nation and Mizoram.
Officials said that under the MoU, the meteorological centre (state headquarters) would be set up at the Science Centre in Aizawl’s Berawtlang.
The Chief Minister congratulated the IMD and the DST for this important collaboration, noting that it was the first MoU of the Mizoram government with any Central agency.
“Mizoram government is delighted to support the IMD for expanding its services for the betterment of the state and its farmers,” he said.
Director, IMD, Mizoram, Sudheer Kumar Dwivedi, in the function, highlighted current IMD services in various departments like Agriculture, Disaster Management, Irrigation and Water Resources, and Public Health Engineering of the Mizoram government.
Additional Director General, IMD, K.N. Mohan briefed about meteorological instruments and technological supports and advancements in weather services of IMD.
Mountainous Mizoram is a natural disaster-prone state, especially for landslides.
During the meeting with the 16th Finance Commission on Monday in Aizawl, the Chief Minister urged the final panel to provide special financial consideration for his state given its difficult terrain, frequent natural disasters like floods and landslides, water scarcity and other problems.
At the meeting with the Commission led by its Chairman Arvind Panagariya, he said that over 84 per cent of Mizoram’s land is covered by forests, making land availability a challenge. He stressed the importance of sustainable land use, conservation of forests, flora, and fauna, and the need for special financial considerations to address these challenges
