BENGALURU: In addition to updating weather reports and keeping a watch on cloud formation, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials have got another task at hand.
Now they have to provide weather updates every three hours to the Special Protection Group (SPG) of the Prime Minister, especially regarding rainfall. They are also updating the district commissioners (DCs) and all other political parties of the weather conditions of each region.
“In the initial phase of election campaign, nobody enquired whether it was hot or peak of summer, and the pre-monsoon showers were also delayed. Now, as the pre-monsoon showers have intensified and the poll campaign is pacing up, the frequency of enquiry has increased. We get no less than 15 calls per day asking for weather updates. We have even created various groups on different social media platforms to keep everyone updated,” said an official from the IMD.
The official added that special attention is paid to weather details when national leaders and heads of political parties hold road shows.
Apart from Bengaluru’s weather update, details of Haveri, Badami, Shivamogga, Mysuru, Nanjangud and Ballari are asked by the district administration officials, the IMD officials said.
The officials said that this is different from the usual experience, where they would get calls from farmers and even citizens hosting events, weddings and outdoor parties, who would call up during this time of the year to know when and where it would rain.
“Party workers seek suggestions to decide the suitable timings to schedule public rallies, and if there is any rain forecast for that duration of time, some also ask for exact locations of rainfall, which is not possible to know,” said the officials.