KOZHIKODE:Could an accurate and timely assessment of the huge quantity of rainfall in the catchment areas helped authorities take enough precautions before the dams filled to the brim and caused the deluge? Yes, according to weather experts. Then why did it not happen? Blame it on lack of equipment to gauge the extent of rainfall deep in the forests.
Top officials of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) admit off the record that systems to measure rainfall in the catchment areas are virtually defunct. And even if such equipment are set up by various state government departments, the data is never shared for use by various agencies.
“There are unconfirmed reports that in the catchment areas of Idukki dam, nearly 3 metres of rainfall was recorded over a 10-day period beginning August 8. Such a huge volume of rainfall is unheard of in the recent past. Had there been adequate rain gauges to detect the unusual rainfall activity in the catchment areas, we could have had an inkling of how quickly the reservoirs would fill,” said Dr M G Manoj, a scientist at the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research of Cusat. According to a source in the Met Department, only 64 out of the 73 weather stations are currently yielding proper rainfall data. Out of the 16 automatic weather stations, very few are functional, they admit.
Hence, the rainfall data generated by the weatherman is confined only to human habitations. A decade ago, the ISRO had teamed up with the Centre for Monsoon Studies (CMS) at Cusat to set up 68 automatic weather stations, most of them in remote and forested areas of the state. The aim was to access weather data, especially relating to rainfall, even from inaccessible areas. However, with the change of guard at the premier space research organisation, the project was put on the back-burner, said Dr C K Rajan, former director, CMS, who once coordinated the project.
“Maintaining automatic weather stations in remote forest areas is a Herculean task. The dense green cover, damage caused by wild animals and need for periodic maintenance render such equipment useless within weeks,” said an IMD scientist.
The scientist cited the example of Goa where the state’s Forest Department has actively tied up with the Met Department to set up and maintain weather stations in forests. A similar model can be tried out in the state too. Also needed is an agency that can collate weather data from equipment set up by various government departments and share it through a common platform, the scientist added.