Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has urged Union Minister of Home Amit Shah to enhance the capacity of the Indian Meterological Centre (IMC), Chennai, to enable it to make predictions of high alert situations earlier and notify the same to the State Government well in time.

Inaccurate bulletin predictions

The State government relies substantially on alerts issued by the IMC, Chennai for gearing up the administration to handle impending disaster situations arising out of intense rainfall. A timely alert from IMC helps the State and District Administration to take up pre-emptive efforts to ensure the safety of people.

“We have, however, noted that IMC is unable to predict red alert situation sufficiently in advance giving hardly any time,” said the letter.

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On Thursday, the IMC, in its bulletin issued at 12 noon, predicted thunderstorm with moderate rainfall at a few places over coastal Tamil Nadu and thunderstorm with moderate rain in Viluppuram, Cuddalore and Delta Districts, while predicting thunderstorm with light to moderate rain in some areas of Chennai.

Later, at 3:40 pm, the IMC issued a Nowcast Warning stating that thunderstorm with light to moderate rain would occur at isolated places over few districts including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpet districts for the next 1-2 hours.

Meanwhile, rains started lashing Chennai and its suburbs from that afternoon and lasted till late night.

At 4:15 pm, the IMC issued an Orange alert. By this time, there was high intensity heavy downpour all over Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpet districts, resulting in inundation of many places and total disruption of traffic in the city.

Significant reliance

The shortcoming in the capability of IMD to “provide accurate real time rainfall forecasting on instances like this often prevents the State and district administration from taking up timely mobilisation of emergency management system.”

“This results in total disruption of normal life, movement of health care support systems and also causing loss of lives and damage to critical infrastructure.” Such instances underscored the need for making additional investments in advanced weather prediction mechanism and up-gradation of technology being used in the IMD, he said.

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These instances highlight the need to make additional investments in advanced weather prediction mechanism and up-gradation of technology being used in IMCs.

“I request the Government of India to do the needful to enhance the capacity of IMC, Chennai to enable it to make predictions of high alert situations earlier and notify the same to the State government well in time,” the letter said.

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