Friday, October 17, 2014

Doppler weather radar impaired for over a year

Nagpur: The Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) at Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) here has been non functional for over a year due to non availability of certain spare parts like the integrated circuits and electronic boards. The chances of it becoming functional soon are negligible as these parts cannot be purchased directly by RMC and there is no annual maintenance contract (AMC).

DWRs can very efficiently predict fast evolving weather systems like thunderstorms, cyclones, cloudbursts etc. It is used both for aviation as well as non-aviation weather predictions. The radar made in China and procured from the SGS Weather and Environment Systems uses American technology and can generate information from 1 to 8km height from the earth surface in a radius of 500km. The Met Star model of the DWR was installed in February 2011 and it became non functional on September 2, 2013 and has since not been repaired for want of parts not available in the country as the equipment was imported from China.
RMC deputy director general PN Nandankar told TOI that the centre didn't have the power to purchase the parts directly. "We have sent many requisitions to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) over past 8-10 months but didn't get the parts," he said.
17/10/14 Snehlata Shrivastav/Times of India
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