Context: Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval for continuation of the Ocean Services Modelling Application Resources and Technology (O-SMART) and Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS) schemes from 2021-26.
About ACROSS

• Launched by Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs with a period of 2017 to 2020.
• Aim: To improve the quality of weather and climate forecast along with strong R&D.

Objectives

• It focuses on providing climate and weather predictions for the enhancement of society.
• Upgrading the skill of climate and weather estimation via intensive observations and research.
• To improve the efficiency in distribution and transmission approach to provide services like aviation services, climate services, tourism, Agro-meteorological services, etc.

Implementing Agencies

• Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology
• India Meteorological Department
• Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Service
• National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting.

Benefits

• It will offer better weather and climate prediction along with ocean forecasts.
• It will provide a considerable amount of technical and scientific staff with the required managerial support, thus creating employment opportunities.
• A significant number of organizations will be assembled Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), local municipalities and universities ensuring better connectivity to the services regarding weather.

Sub-Schemes under ACROSS

• Commissioning of Polarimetric Doppler Weather Radars (DWRs)
• Upgradation of Forecast System
• Weather & Climate Services
• Atmospheric Observations Network-1
• Numerical Modelling of Weather and Climate
• Monsoon Mission III
• Monsoon Convection Clouds and Climate Change
• High Performance Computing System (HPCS)

About O-SMART

• O-SMART Scheme was launched by the cabinet committee period from 2017-2018 to 2019-2020 with an overall cost of Rs. 1,623 crores.
• Aim: To improve the ocean research and setting up early warning weather systems.
• It addresses ocean development activities such as resources, technology, observations, and science.
• Provides scientific and technological background required for the implementation of various aspects of the Blue Economy.
• Blue economy is related to the exploitation, preservation, and regeneration of the marine environment.

Objectives

• To update information on Marine Living Resources in Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
• EEZ is an area of coastal water near a country's coastline, to which the country claims exclusive rights for fishing, drilling, and other economic activities.
• To monitor water levels of sea pollutants for health assessment of the coastal waters of India.
• To develop shoreline, change maps for the assessment of coastal erosion.
• To Develop Ocean observation systems for the acquisition of real-time data from seas around India.
• Develop High-resolution models for the ocean forecast and reanalysis systems.
• To develop technologies generating energy and freshwater from oceans.
• Support maintenance and operation of research vessels for ocean monitoring.

Significance

• It will provide several economic benefits to the user communities in the coastal areas including the ocean sectors and coastal states.
• The sectors will include fisheries, shipping, and offshore industry.
• The scheme benefits fishermen community who receives information about weather conditions in the coastal waters and the allocation of fish potential.
• This will help in reducing the search time for fishermen, resulted in saving fuel costs.

By: Shubham Tiwari