Union Cabinet Approves 'Mission Mausam' to Tackle Weather Extremes and Climate Change

The Union Cabinet approved 'Mission Mausam' to enhance India's climate prediction capabilities with a Rs 2,000 crore budget. The mission aims to improve weather forecasting, tackle extreme weather events, and enhance air quality predictions. The project will run in two phases until March 2026 and involve advanced technology and observational networks.

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave the green light to 'Mission Mausam,' a comprehensive initiative aimed at bolstering India's ability to predict and respond to extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change.

The mission has a budget of Rs 2,000 crore for its initial phase, slated to run until March 2026. According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, accurately forecasting tropical weather conditions remains a complex challenge, hindered by the limitations of current observational data and model resolution.

The first phase will focus on expanding the observation network, adding around 70 Doppler radars, high-performance computers, and other essential equipment. The subsequent phase will introduce satellites and aircraft to further enhance data collection. The mission aims to improve weather forecast accuracy and tackle phenomena like cloudbursts and localised droughts.

(With inputs from agencies.)