Context: Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved ‘Mission Mausam’ today with an outlay of Rs.2,000 crore over two years. Mission Mausam, to be chiefly implemented by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, is envisaged to be a multi-faceted and transformative initiative to tremendously boost India’s weather and climate-related science, research, and services.

About Mission Mausam

• It aims to enhance the capabilities of organizations like the India Meteorological Department, National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting, and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.

• By 2026, it plans to install 60 weather radars, 15 wind profilers, and 15 radiosondes.

• A key innovation is a proposed cloud-simulation chamber to model rain clouds and test weather interventions.

• It also explores reducing lightning strikes, which are the leading cause of natural deaths in India.

• Focus Areas: It includes accuracy, modelling, radars, satellites, and accurate agromet forecasts.
• It will help equip stakeholders, including citizens, to better manage extreme weather events and climate change impacts, enhancing community resilience.

Components of the Mission: 

• Deployment of next-generation radars and satellite systems with advanced sensors

• Development of enhanced Earth system models 

• A GIS-based automated decision support system for real-time data sharing

Implementation and Support: The mission will be implemented by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, and the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting – three key institutions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). 

• The mission will be supported by other MoES bodies – Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research and National Institute of Ocean Technology.

How Does This Differ from the National Monsoon Mission?

• While the National Monsoon Mission, started in 2012, developed models for better monsoon forecasting using intensive computing, Mission Mausam aims to extend capabilities beyond just monsoons.

• It plans to enhance daily and seasonal forecasts and develop specific models for heatwaves and cold waves.

Why is This Research Important?

• The research aims to reduce lightning strikes, which are the leading cause of natural deaths in India, surpassing floods and landslides.

• Advanced instruments like weather radars and wind profilers will improve monitoring of wind, humidity, and temperature.

• Experiments such as cloud seeding could help control rainfall, which is crucial for agriculture.

• Climate change adds complexity to weather patterns, making fundamental research essential to predict and mitigate its effects.

• Weather modification experiments, while uncertain, offer hope for controlling dangerous weather phenomena like lightning, as seen in experiments in other countries.