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The Hindu
26-05-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
IMD adopts Bharat Forecast System model for panchayat-level rain forecast
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday (May 26, 2025) adopted the Bharat Forecast System (BFS), which promises more fine-tuned and accurate rain forecasts down to the panchayat level. The improvements will largely be visible in the 'short- and medium-term' forecasts (three- and seven-day lead times) issued by the IMD but not in the long-range forecasts, usually given a month in advance. Also read: Rain updates on May 26, 2025 The BFS has been tested since 2002 and has shown 'notable improvements' in giving advance warning of heavy rainfall events, M. Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) said. The BFS was developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), part of the MoES. IMD is also an MoES organisation. The improvement in the forecasts is due to the IITM significantly improving the existing weather forecast models as well as harnessing more powerful computing capabilities. For analysis, the current weather forecast models cut up the globe into gridded squares of 12-km sides; the newer BFS model breaks it down into 6-km sides – leading to a four-fold improvement. 'India is the only country that will now provide operational weather forecasts at a 6 km by 6 km resolution. Until now we have been able to give block-level forecasts five days ahead; now we can give up to the level of a panchayat, or a few villages. This is useful because there can be important weather variations even within a block,' said M. Mohapatra, Director-General, IMD. Science Minister Jitendra Singh said: 'The efforts are Indian, the technology is Indian, and the beneficiaries are Indian. This is true Atmanirbharta. Moreover, this system will also benefit other tropical regions globally, which face the most complex and variable weather challenges.' Another major change, said Mr. Ravichandran, was using a new 'grid structure'. Earlier, weather models would break the globe into equal-sized grids. 'Now we use a grid-structure called the triangular-cubic octahedral (TCO). This generates more grids, and therefore higher resolution, over the tropical regions than the poles. As weather here is more volatile, this is more important for our forecast purposes,' he said. However, the new system would not yet be able to significantly improve forecasts of phenomenon such as sudden, severe thunderstorms. 'We have different models for that. We are in the process of installing 34 Doppler Weather Radars, in the coming year, which will add to the existing 53,' Mr. Mohapatra added. The improved forecasting system is made possible with high performance computing systems 'Arka' and 'Arunika' located at the IITM, Pune and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting, Delhi. The IITM system is equipped with a capacity of 11.77 Peta FLOPS and 33 petabytes of storage, while the NCMRWF facility features 8.24 Peta FLOPS with 24 petabytes of storage. Additionally, there is a dedicated standalone system for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning applications with a capacity of 1.9 Peta FLOPS. A peta-flop is one quadrillion floating-point operations per second.
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First Post
26-05-2025
- Climate
- First Post
What is Bharat Forecasting System for more apt weather predictions?
The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) launched the indigenous Bharat Forecasting System (BFS) in Delhi on Monday (May 26). Developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), the model aims to make weather forecasts more localised and accurate. Being the only numerical weather prediction system in the world with a high resolution of six km, it will be operated by the IMD read more People make their way through a waterlogged road near Gandhi Market at Matunga after heavy rains, in Mumbai, May 26, 2025. PTI India has unveiled an indigenous weather forecasting system that will make the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) forecasts more accurate. The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) launched the new Bharat Forecasting System (BFS) in Delhi on Monday (May 26). The system has been developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and will be operated by the IMD from this monsoon season. Its unveiling comes as India has witnessed an early onset of monsoon rains , with heavy showers battering Kerala and Mumbai. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Let's take a closer look. What is BFS? BFS is a made-in-India weather forecasting system that aims to make the weather department's predictions more localised and accurate. Touted as the world's highest-resolution weather model, BFS will provide forecasts with a 6 km resolution. This makes it the only numerical weather prediction system in the world deployed at such a high resolution. Speaking to ThePrint, IITM director Suryachandra Rao said, 'The new BFS has a resolution of 6 km at the tropics and around 7-8 km resolution at the poles. The current range of our system is only around 12 km. This will remarkably improve our forecasting accuracy.' Similar systems operated by the European, British and American weather offices have a range between 9 km and 14 km. Union Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh took to X to hail the 'first-of-its-kind, state-of-the-art' weather prediction system. He said BFS will 'boost monsoon tracking, aviation, cyclone and disaster management, agriculture, waterways, defence, flood forecasting, and also support key ministries. Its exclusive highlight is that it focuses and caters to India's panchayat level requirements.' Launched the first-of-its-kind, state-of-the-art indigenous 'Bharat Forecast System' #BharatFS by 'India Meteorological Department' under the Ministry of Earth Sciences #MoES. A major leap in IMD's capabilities, this breakthrough places India among global leaders in weather… — Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) May 26, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD IITM scientists behind BFS told ThePrint that, in a first, a version of the global forecasting system (GFS) model has been developed for short and medium-range weather prediction over India using the triangular-cubic-octahedral (Tco) grid. This grid structure, used in numerical weather prediction and climate modelling, provides a higher resolution over the tropics at a range of about 6.5 km. 'The tropical region is a chaotic region for weather. The change in weather patterns is unpredictable and higher resolution models are required to capture the spatial changes,' M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, said, as per PTI. 'Earlier, we used to issue one forecast for four villages. The BFS will enable us to issue separate forecasts for each of the four villages,' he said. How BFS works Developing the Bharat Forecasting System was possible after the installation of the new supercomputer Arka at the IITM campus last year, with a capacity of 11.77 petaflops (a unit to measure computer processing speed) and storage capacity of 33 petabytes – a petabyte is equivalent to 1,000 terabytes (TB). 'The previous supercomputer 'Pratyush' used to take up to 10 hours to run the forecasting model. Arka performs the same data-crunching within four hours,' Mukhopadhyay told PTI. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD MoES secretary Ravichandran said the data from 40 Doppler weather radars from across the country will be used to operate the weather forecasting model, enabling the weather department to issue more localised forecasts, and nowcasts or weather forecasts for the next two hours. The plan is to increase the number of these Doppler radars to 100, which would allow for IMD to issue nowcasts across the country. Why it matters India's BFS comes at a time when the weather has become more uncertain, with extreme events becoming more common. As climate change affects India and the rest of the world, the new weather forecasting system will improve the forecasts by 30 per cent. Pedestrians wade through an inundated road amid rains, in Mumbai, May 26, 2025. PTI BFS, which had been on a trial run since 2022, has shown a 30 per cent improvement in the prediction of extreme rainfall events and a 64 per cent improvement in forecasts for core monsoon regions, ThePrint reported. It also displayed improved results for cyclone tracks and intensity forecasts. 'This is a pretty big improvement, but we will not stop at that. Our efforts will be to continuously better our capabilities,' Ravichandran said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
Business Standard
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Ministry of Earth Sciences underscores critical role of India's vast marine resources
Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has launched a white paper titled "Transforming India's Blue Economy: Investment, Innovation and Sustainable Growth" in collaboration with its strategic knowledge partner. As the nodal agency for the implementation of the Blue Economy in India, MoES, has been actively working towards enhancing the visibility and effective implementation of blue economy initiatives across the nation. This white paper builds upon these efforts by providing a consolidated framework that aligns government actions, fosters cross-sectoral synergies, and promotes greater investment to unlock the vast potential of India's ocean resources for sustainable and economic development. The report underscores the critical role of India's vast marine resources, including its extensive coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone, as a vital engine for national progress. It highlights the collaborative efforts of 25 ministries, alongside coastal state and union territory initiatives, in driving sustainable growth across various ocean-related sectors. The report builds upon India's G20 Presidency commitments and the Chennai High-Level Principles for a Sustainable and Resilient Blue Economy, further solidifying its importance within the Viksit Bharat vision for 2047. While acknowledging significant sectoral progress, the white paper emphasises the need for a unified and coordinated approach to overcome existing challenges. It identifies key impediments to growth, limited data sharing, low private investment, and technology gaps, particularly in emerging areas like offshore wind and deep-sea exploration. It highlights pragmatic interventions and highlights scalable and replicable models from across India, including women-led seaweed farming, smart port development, and green ship recycling, demonstrating the potential for achieving both economic growth and environmental sustainability.
Times of Oman
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Times of Oman
EU-India to jointly find solutions to marine pollution, waste to green hydrogen
New Delhi: The European Union (EU) and India launched two research and innovation initiatives under the EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC), with a total investment of 41 million Euros (Rs 394 crore), a statement by the European Union said. These initiatives will drive collaborative solutions to pressing environmental challenges and foster cutting-edge technological advancements, the statement said. Coordinated under the EU's Horizon Europe programme and co-funded by Indian ministries (MoES and MNRE), the two research calls will bring together researchers, startups, and industries from the EU and India to develop sustainable, scalable solutions with global impact. By strengthening the EU-India partnership, these initiatives operationalize the TTC's goals and reinforce the commitment to joint innovation. As per the statement, the first call focuses on combating marine pollution, particularly the pervasive issue of marine plastic litter. Co-funded by the EU (12 million Euro, which is approximately Rs 110 crore) and Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences (Rs 90 crore, or 9.3 million Euro), this call seeks innovative solutions to monitor, assess, and mitigate the cumulative impacts of various pollutants, including microplastics, heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants, the statement said. The resulting research will contribute to global efforts, including the support international commitments such as the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and contribute to the objectives of the EU's Zero Pollution Action Plan and India's National Marine Litter Policy. By driving collaborative research and innovation, this initiative aims to protect marine ecosystems and promote sustainable development, as per the statement. This call builds on earlier momentum, including a workshop on e-vehicle charging standards held in February and a successful matchmaking initiative that connected Indian and EU start-ups with potential partners and investors. The second call focuses the development of waste-to-renewable hydrogen technologies. Hydrogen has emerged as a key area of collaboration between the EU and India, given its strategic role in driving the clean energy transition, enhancing energy security, and meeting long-term climate objectives. This call, co-funded by the EU (10 million Euros, or Rs 97 Crore) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (Rs 90 crore, or 9.3 million Euros), aims to develop efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly methods for hydrogen production, as per the statement. Both calls are open to European and Indian organisations, including companies, SMEs, startups, research institutions, universities, non-governmental organisations (NGO), and individual researchers. The submission deadlines are September 2 for the hydrogen call and September 17 for the marine pollution call, the statement said. Additional joint research calls are envisaged for 2026, including on recycling of batteries for electric vehicles and potential cooperation on wastewater treatment. Together, all these initiatives represent a joint investment of around 60 million Euros under the TTC framework. EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC) The EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC) is a high-level strategic coordination platform aimed at strengthening the bilateral partnership on trade, technology, and innovation. The decision to establish the TTC was jointly announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2022. The Council was formally launched in February 2023, and its first ministerial meeting took place in May 2023. As the EU's second TTC (after the EU-US TTC), this mechanism reflects the growing geopolitical and economic alignment between the EU and India. It aims to promote secure, sustainable, and inclusive economic development while safeguarding shared democratic values. The EU-India Research and Innovation (R&I) Cooperation is a longstanding and strategic partnership, anchored in the 2001 Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation and renewed recently in 2020. An EU India Joint Steering Committee oversees the partnership which supports joint research in key areas such as health, energy, digital and green technologies, water, and climate. It also promotes researcher mobility, startup networking, and innovation. With over 200 joint projects to date, this growing cooperation is evolving toward mission-driven, co-funded initiatives delivering tangible global impact.
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India plans to start fishing for krill in the Southern Ocean
Chennai: India may soon enter the global commercial krill fishing industry by starting operations in the Antarctic or Southern Ocean. Officials said at least two Mumbai-based firms have come forward to launch operations, focusing on harvesting krill, a small crustacean rich in omega-3, used in aquaculture feed and health supplements."The firms may attempt krill fishing this summer season in the Southern Ocean, between Dec and Feb. Till now, we did not venture into fishing there because it requires huge investment. We have asked the companies to talk to those in other countries involved in fishing in the Southern Ocean. We will give them permits and also the Indian flag for their vessels," said M Ravichandran, secretary, ministry of earth sciences (MoES).Krill are small, shrimp-like crustaceans that play a vital role in the Antarctic food web, serving as a key food source for penguins, seals, whales, seabirds, and fish. They are harvested for omega-3-rich oils used in supplements and aquaculture. The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) estimates their biomass at about 379 million such as South Korea, Japan, and China have long harvested krill under CCAMLR quotas. India holds fishing rights under the Antarctic Treaty System but has not used its quota until now. Indian companies currently import krill oil, mainly from Norway, to supply aquaculture farms. Domestic harvesting is expected to reduce reliance on Indian Antarctic Act 2022 and the Indian Antarctic Environmental Protection Rules provide the legal structure for permits. The ministry is coordinating with shipping, fisheries, and commerce ministries to enable private industry's firms are expected to charter ice-class vessels, register them under the Indian flag, and deploy them to the Southern Ocean. Vessels will process krill onboard, extracting omega-3 oils and packaging the product for export. Inspectors will monitor compliance with CCAMLR quotas."In the late 1990s, we undertook a krill expedition, which was scientific. Now industries are ready," said Thamban Meloth, director, National Centre for Polar and Ocean has, however, been a global concern among environmentalists that krill fishing threatens Antarctic ecosystems due to overfishing, habitat loss, and climate change. CCAMLR has established two marine protected areas (MPAs) but four more proposed MPAs to conserve biodiversity have not materialised for years.
