Maha farmer files plea against Met for ‘wrong forecast’

MUMBAI: A farmer from Beed district has filed a complaint against Colaba and Pune weather stations of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) for their ‘misleading’ forecast.

In his complaint with Dindrud police in Marathwada region, Gangabheeshan Thavre has said he had started sowing based on IMD forecast but there was no rain after a brief spell causing him huge financial losses.

He has accused the IMD of cheating farmers and alleged connivance between IMD officials and seed and fertilizer companies for giving inaccurate forecast.

This is for the first time such complaint has been filed against IMD.

RS Sanap, a police inspector of Dindrud police, said it was not possible for them to register an FIR based on such a complaint as what IMD issues is a forecast.

“We have to verify the charges and consider its legal point of view as well before filing a case in the matter,” Sanap told HT.

Officials from the Pune weather bureau in-charge of issuing predictions said they had been made aware about the complaint. “All our predictions over the last three months are being analysed by our office. The issue has been escalated to our head office in New Delhi. We will be issuing a release once we get a clarity on the matter,” said a senior official from the meteorological services for agriculture in India under IMD.

The weather bureau in New Delhi said they would respond to the allegations once they were communicated about it.

“We are not a commercial agency, and we work for the public good. Every year we make efforts to improvise our abilities and deliver better services,” said IMD director Dr KJ Ramesh.