Bhubaneswar, July 3 (UNI) Odisha government will implement the Weather Information Network Data System (WINDS) project to enhance weather monitoring and data accessibility across the state.
An MoU in this regard was signed today between the Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment (A&FE) Department and Skymet Weather Services Pvt. Ltd., in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy, K. V. Singh Deo.
The Government of India has launched the WINDS project with the objective of strengthening the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
Speaking on the occasion, Singh Deo said the initiative aims to improve access to weather data and enhance risk management in the fields of agriculture, insurance, and disaster response.
As part of the project, Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) and Automatic Rain Gauges (ARG) will be installed at strategic locations across the state to ensure timely and accurate weather data collection.
While ARGs will be installed at the Gram Panchayat level, AWS units will be set up at the Block level.
The state government’s share of the funding will come from the budgetary allocation under PMFBY.
“These installations will establish a comprehensive weather monitoring system throughout Odisha,” Singh Deo stated.
The project will be jointly implemented by the Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Department and the Revenue & Disaster Management Department (OSDMA).
The Cooperation Department will manage the funding under the PMFBY scheme.
Singh Deo further noted that providing accurate weather data for crop planning, risk assessment, and yield prediction will significantly enhance agricultural efficiency and benefit farmers.
