Mission Mausam: Enhancing Meteorological Predictions

• The Cabinet has approved a ₹2,000 crore programme, Mission Mausam, to upgrade infrastructure used for atmospheric observations.
• The mission aims to improve atmospheric observations, improve monsoon forecasts, and warn of extreme weather events and cyclones.
• Key elements include deploying advanced radars, satellite systems with advanced sensors and supercomputers, developing improved earth-system models, and a GIS-based automated Decision Support System for real-time data dissemination.
• The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is the nodal agency in executing the mission.
• The first tranche of the mission until 2026 aims to procure and install up to 60 weather radars, 15 wind profilers, and 15 radiosondes.
• The mission builds on the previous ‘Monsoon Mission’, launched in 2012, which relied on statistical methods to forecast monsoons.
• The mission also outlines a plan for “weather management,” which involves actively changing the weather using cloud seeding and controlling lightning.
• The mission aims to set sharp boundaries for weather modification, but the challenge is setting clear boundaries.