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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to enhance the capacity of Indian Meteorological Centre (IMC), Chennai, to enable it to predict high alert situations and notify the same to the State government well in time.
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,” says the letter.
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 Chengalpattu districts for the next 1-2 hours. Meanwhile, rains started lashing Chennai and its suburbs from afternoon that 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 Chengalpattu districts resulting in inundation of many places and disruption of traffic in the city.
Upgrade technology
The shortcomings in the capability of IMC to provide accurate real time rainfall forecasting on instances like this is often preventing the State and District Administration to take 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 damages to critical infrastructure.
These instances highlight the need for making additional investments in advanced weather prediction mechanism and up-gradation of technology being used in IMCs.
“I request the Government of India 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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