Govt Launches ₹2,000-Cr ‘Mission Mausam’ to Enhance Climate Monitoring

The government has launched ‘Mission Mausam’ initiative with a total outlay of ₹2,000 crore for the period 2024–2026, to enhance weather surveillance technologies, forecasting capabilities and last-mile dissemination systems, reported DD News.

The budget allocation includes ₹258 crore for the financial year 2024–25 and ₹1,742 crore for 2025–26, Union Minister of State for Earth Sciences, Jitendra Singh informed the Rajya Sabha on July 31.

 “Mission Mausam will significantly enhance our ability to monitor and forecast extreme weather and climate events. It will help tourists and tourism-related businesses plan better and reduce losses caused by adverse weather,” the minister said.

How it Works?

Three institutes of the Ministry of Earth Sciences— the India Meteorological Department, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, and the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting will primarily implement 'Mission Mausam'.

These institutions will be supported by other MoES institutions (Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, and National Institute of Ocean Technology), along with collaborating national and international Institutes, Academia and Industries, furthering India's leadership in weather and climate sciences and services.

The programme aims at enhancing atmospheric observation networks by deploying next-generation radars, wind profilers and satellite systems equipped with advanced payloads. The use of high-performance supercomputers, Earth system models and AI/ML-based data tools will also be central to the mission, shared Singh.

Under the 'Mission Mausam', the development of a state-of-the-art Decision Support System (DSS) will be undertaken to improve disaster preparedness and weather communication at the local level.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), which has long provided customised weather forecasts for tourist and pilgrimage destinations, will leverage this mission to offer improved services. These include real-time updates for major events such as the Char Dham and Amarnath Yatras, as well as the Maha Kumbh Mela, held earlier this year.

Mission Mausam is expected to aid numerous sectors, such as agriculture, disaster management, defence, environment, aviation, water resources, power, tourism, shipping, transport, energy and health. It will also enhance data-driven decision-making in areas such as urban planning, road and rail transport, offshore operations, and environmental monitoring.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved ‘Mission Mausam’ on September 11, 2024 with an outlay of ₹2,000 crore over two years.