Updated By: LatestGKGS Desk
BSNL And IMD Collaborates For Sending Extreme Weather Alerts To People
BSNL And IMD Collaborated For Sending Extreme Weather Warnings To People- Details, Aim, Purpose, Benefits
The Government owned telecom entity, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has collaborated to send extreme weather warnings (alerts) to people.
The weather warnings or alerts will be comprised of extreme weather conditions such as thunderstorms, heavy rain and heatwaves.
BSNL with the help of IMD will send area-specific alerts to their users if they happen to be at place likely to experience extreme weather conditions, even if their phone numbers do not belong to that particular telecom circle.
At present, the exercise is being carried out in an experimental stage, and if successful Ministry of Earth Sciences plans to implement it in other weather agencies also.
Need For Weather Alert Initiative
More than 200 people died due to thunderstorms across India, in April-May 2018, with Uttar Pradesh almost witnessing half the deaths. In 2016, extreme weather had claimed lives of 1,600 people with heatwave topping the list.
The move for the initiative comes after IMD came under criticism from several quarters, including some state governments for not sending out specific alerts.
Government weather forecasting agencies have limitations in disseminating information, especially in scenarios like thunderstorms where events unfold very quickly. Since these weather forecasting agencies cannot reach every individual, there must an intermediate agency that could pass on the forecast to people. Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had recently asked IMD to send weather advisories to people.
