Land shortage cripples Agriculture Ministry’s weather network rollout
The Indian Agriculture Ministry's WINDS project, aimed at installing a nationwide network of weather sensors, is significantly delayed due to land acquisition challenges. Private partners report that the India Meteorological Department's recent requirement to install sensors on the ground rather than rooftops has stalled progress, with over 96% of the project still incomplete.
Why it matters
The delay hinders the collection of hyper-local weather data essential for calculating crop insurance payouts under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, directly impacting farmers' financial security.
Land shortage cripples Agriculture Ministry’s weather network rollout left Rain gauge units must be installed on the ground to ensure that the data collected are accurate, say IMD officials. File https://th-i.thgim.com/public/news/national/pe9p6o/article71589784.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/Untitled.jpg Project is a year behind deadline, with over 96% of planned rain gauges and weather stations yet to be installed; private partners say IMD is retrospectively insisting that sensors be installed on the ground, not on rooftops NEW DELHI An ambitious public-private partnership project by an Agriculture Ministry body to install automatic rain gauges and automatic weather stations in States is proceeding at a crawl, with completion rates in the single digits and at least a year behind deadline. Over 96% of planned sensors are yet to be installed.
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