Gram Panchayat-Level Weather Forecasting initiative

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About Gram Panchayat-Level Weather Forecasting initiative:

The initiative is developed in collaboration between the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
It is aimed at “empowering rural communities and enhancing disaster preparedness at the grassroots, and will benefit farmers and villagers across the country”.
The initiative will provide Gram Panchayats with a five-day weather forecast and hourly updates, enabling rural communities to better plan agricultural activities and prepare for weather-related risks.
It will deliver weather updates via e-GramSwaraj, the Meri Panchayat app, and Gram Manchitra portals. e-GramSwaraj is already operational.
- Users can see data on the current temperature, wind speed, cloud cover (in percentage), rainfall, and relative humidity at the level of gram panchayats; five-day forecasts of minimum and maximum temperatures, rainfall, cloud cover, wind direction, and wind speed, and an overall weather forecast.
Significance: It will “strengthen grassroots governance and promote sustainable agricultural practices, making rural populations more climate-resilient and better equipped to tackle environmental challenges”.

Q1: What is the India Meteorological Department (IMD)?

IMD was established in 1875. It is the National Meteorological Service of the country and the principal government agency in all matters relating to meteorology and allied subjects. The Director General of Meteorology is the Head of the India Meteorological Department.

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