Sunday, July 31, 2011

India plans to launch National Monsoon Mission

The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has mooted a proposal to take up a National Mission on Monsoon to develop most representative and advanced dynamic model framework for India for forecasting monsoon rainfall and its variability in various space and time scales. A National level consultation meeting was organised with experts working in the atmospheric and oceanic modeling alongside the MoES units, viz. India Meteorological Department (IMD), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad etc., on 16th January, 2010 for finalizing the scope, identification and short-listing of suite of models, activity schedule, roles of various participating groups, time frame etc. for the preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR). National level implementation mechanism is being worked out. A steering committee shall be constituted for overseeing the Mission implementation.

Currently, IMD uses statistical models for the prediction of seasonal monsoon rainfall over India. However, the National Mission on Monsoon envisages developing India specific dynamical model framework that would outperform the existing suite of models available today.

This information was given by the Shri Prithviraj Chavan ,Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions and Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs in a written reply to a question by Shri R C Singh in Rajya Sabha

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