Excelsior Correspondent
KATRA, Sept 14: Union Minister in PMO with independent charge of Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh today inaugurated the Automatic Weather Observing System (AWOS) at Sanji Chat Katra.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Singh said the AWOS will help in making a weather forecast in 50 kilometers radius and help the pilots in safe operations of their choppers. Besides, it will help in monitoring temperature, wind speed, wind direction, atmospheric pressure and precipitation and visibility.
He said the installation of the AWOS will go a long way in minimizing the damages caused by the natural calamities in future.
He said the newly installed system is designed to operate unattended, in harsh weather conditions and it can sustain its operation on specially designed solar power unit. The transmission from the system can be received by any helicopter within a range of 50 kms, he added.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that Sanji Chat in Katra is second place after Jhu in Mumbai where such a innovative weather forecasting system has been installed by Indian Metrological Department (IMD).
He said the digital data generated is processed and then converted into structured aviation report. It is further converted into audio readout file which is broadcast at a VHF frequency assigned for operating such services, he added.
He said the data in aeronautical report format is automatically transmitted to the IMD server through GPRS, which is then uploaded to “On Line Briefing System:, a dedicated web based facility catering to the requirement of aviation sector.
It has also a facility to transmit the data through wireless modem to designated server, he added.
While counting 100 days achievements of NDA Government, he said it is the second inauguration at Katra during last 100 days, of the Government led by Narendra Modi.
He said earlier Mr Modi inaugurated the train from Katra and today AWOS was inaugurated by him.
He said various steps were taken by his Ministry for the betterment of the people and as a Minister of Personnel and Pensions, he has done away with the attestation of forms by gazetted officers and this way a lot of time and energy of youth will be saved.
Defending the IMD, he said it had made accurate weather forecast about the rainfall during the Monsoons this year and it was up to the Government to take the precautionary measures to minimize the damage of heavy rains.
The Minister also inaugurated a special weather related web page at Katra. The function was co hosted by IMD and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB).
The weather forecast will be available at website of both IMD and SMVDSB simultaneously.
The function was attended by MLA Reasi, Baldev Raj Sharma, Shalish Naik, Chairman Earth Sciences and Dr L S Rathore, Director General Metrology Department (IMD), Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Shantmanu and SMVDSB Chief Executive Officer Mandeep Bhandari and.
This is for the first time that senior officers of IMD and Earth Sciences were in Katra to attend a function.
Baldev Raj Sharma welcomed the steps taken by Dr Jitendra Singh in development of the State.
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