Tura, April 30: In a major push to strengthen weather forecasting and disaster preparedness in Meghalaya’s Garo Hills, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has conducted a joint site inspection for installing a Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) in Tura.

The inspection, carried out at Darechikgre and Albella Peak in Albella Chidekgre, marks a key step under the Centre’s flagship Mission Mausam initiative aimed at upgrading India’s meteorological infrastructure.

Officials from IMD, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), and Rongram C&RD Block participated in the survey.

The proposed Doppler radar is expected to significantly enhance real-time weather monitoring in Garo Hills, a region frequently hit by severe thunderstorms, lightning strikes, and intense rainfall.

Once operational, the system will deliver high-resolution, real-time weather data, improve detection of extreme weather events and strengthen early warning systems for disaster preparedness.

Officials said the radar will play a crucial role in minimizing loss of life and property by enabling faster and more accurate alerts.

In addition to the radar project, IMD has proposed setting up a full-fledged meteorological observatory in Tura. This facility will support both surface and upper-air observations, further boosting the region’s capacity to track severe weather.

India currently operates 48 Doppler Weather Radars, including a recently commissioned X-band system in Jorhat, Assam. Meghalaya has one operational DWR at Sohra; the proposed installation at Albella Chidekgre will become the state’s second.

Those present during the inspection included Dr. Sanjay O’Neill Shaw, Scientist ‘F’, Regional Meteorological Centre, IMD Guwahati, Thangjalal Lhouvum, Director & Head, Meteorological Centre, IMD Shillong, Dr. Jasmine S. R. Marak, Block Nodal Officer, Rongram C&RD Block, Jaspher Pdeng, Field Engineer, SDMA, Camelius K Sangma, Field Engineer, DDMA, Tura and Gram Sevaks of Rongram Block and villagers of Darechikgre and Albella Chidekgre.

Officials and local stakeholders, including scientists and engineers from IMD and disaster management agencies, attended the inspection along with village representatives, underscoring the project’s importance for community-level resilience.

The move is expected to significantly strengthen disaster response systems across Garo Hills, improving preparedness in one of Meghalaya’s most weather-sensitive regions.

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