Tezpur, Jorhat Doppler Radars set for completion by December: Keshab Mahanta

Guwahati, Mar 6: Science and Technology Minister Keshab Mahanta on Wednesday said the government was aware of the changing weather patterns due to climate change and has taken up mitigation initiatives.

He said that at the initiative of the Earth Sciences Ministry, X-Band Doppler Weather Radars are being installed in separate zones of the state to enhance weather forecasting and monitoring capabilities.

Work on the radars has begun in Jorhat and Tezpur and is likely to be completed by December.

Three other such radars are coming up in Dhubri, Silchar, and Guwahati.

He said the radars, which will provide pinpointed and real-time alerts on the weather system, are expected to significantly bolster the region's capacity to monitor and respond to extreme events. This will also help farmers in dealing with the impacts on agriculture.

Mahanta said Assam was the first state to adopt the Bioe3 Policy announced by the central government to set forth a framework that ensures the adoption of cutting-edge advanced technologies and aligns innovative research for promoting biomanufacturing.

"Climate-smart agriculture is an important component of the initiative," Mahanta said, responding to the issue of climate change raised by opposition leader Debabrata Saikia at the State Assembly.

Mahanta admitted the impacts of climate change on agriculture and said that scientists are studying the events and brainstorming mitigation strategies.

Debabrata Saikia said that studies have revealed that 15 districts of Assam are among the 25 across the country identified as the most vulnerable to climate change.

"A recent report from Azim Premji University also indicated how Assam was bracing for extreme weather events in the future. Data shows how changing weather has been affecting agricultural production, including that of tea," he added, calling for urgent action.

By

Staff Reporter