U’khand to get 2nd doppler radar in Tehri

MUSSOORIE: Uttarakhand, which is prone to rain-related disasters including cloudbursts, is set to get its second doppler radar, a technology that reads precipitation in the air and assists in assessing extreme weather conditions, at Surkhanda Devi temple, situated near Dhanaulti in Tehri District at 2,756 metres height above sea level, officials said.

“The doppler radar at Surkhanda Devi temple has been installed and is presently in commissioning phase with several tests being conducted periodically. Once it is handed over to us within one or two months, it will begin the weather forecast work under the radius of 100 kilometres that includes Uttarkashi, Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri and parts of Chamoli district,” said Bikram Singh, director of the regional meteorological centre at Dehradun.

“It is not exactly a weatherforecasting instrument. It will do real-time monitoring of the data that once collected will go into models and after processing will be able to provide information around one to two hours in advance during extreme weather conditions,” said Singh.

The doppler radar has been installed under the Integrated Himalayan Meteorological Project (IHMP). Doppler radars provide advance information, enhancing the lead-time so essential for saving lives and property in the event of natural disasters associated with severe weather. According to ISRO’s website, the conventional radars are able to track and predict cyclones, but doppler radars provide detailed information on storm’s internal wind flow and structure. The severity of the weather systems can be quantitatively estimated more accurately and more precise advance warnings can be generated for saving lives and property.

Doppler radar is being built by a Hyderabad-based company which is using a mix of indigenous and imported technology, said IMD officials. Currently, one of the doppler radars is already functioning in Mukteshwar and another is in the pipeline at Lansdowne in Pauri Garhwal for which an MoU between the IMD and Defence Estates is in progress.