New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) celebrated a monumental milestone today as it marked 150 years of dedicated service to the nation. The Vice President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankar, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest during the inaugural ceremony. Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Shri Kiren Rijiju, joined the celebration as the Guest of Honour, and Dr. M Ravichandran, Secretary MoES, presided over the function.
The event, held in New Delhi and attended by around 1,200 delegates from across the country, showcased the journey of IMD since its inception in 1873. The ceremony highlighted the significant contributions of IMD in various sectors, including climate services, aviation meteorology, and disaster management.
Addressing the gathering, Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankar commended IMD’s role in supporting initiatives like Gati Shakti and Udaan Scheme by ensuring safe aviation through weather monitoring and forecasting for all 117 airports in India. He acknowledged the indigenous development of instruments and software to enhance weather and climate services, emphasizing the importance of the decision support system and the newly launched mobile app.
The Vice President highlighted the technological advancements achieved by IMD, noting the increase in the number of Doppler radars from 15 in 2014 to 39 in 2023, with plans to add 25 more in the next 2-3 years. Other improvements included a rise in rainfall monitoring stations, upper air stations, and high wind speed recorders.
IMD’s journey, which began with Port Warnings in 1865, has seen continuous evolution and expansion of services. From climate services to ozone monitoring, agrometeorological services, storm surge warnings, Antarctica expeditions, and digitization and automation under the modernization program, IMD has been at the forefront of meteorological advancements.
As part of the celebration, Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankar unveiled the theme song of IMD. The song encapsulates the commitment of IMD to work for the welfare of all, reflecting its longstanding dedication to serving the nation and the international community.