Port Blair, March 11: The Hon’ble Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Shri Kiren Rijiju today laid the foundation stone for the new Office Building of Meteorological Centre, Port Blair at a function held at the premises of Meteorological Office at Shadipur. The Hon’ble Union Minister unveiled the plaque marking the laying of the foundation stone for the new Office Building in the presence of Admiral D K Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM (Retd.), Hon’ble Lt. Governor, A&N Islands and Vice-Chairman, Islands Development Agency, the Chief Secretary, I/C, A&N Administration, Shri Nikhil Kumar, Head, RMC Kolkata, Dr. Somnath Dutta and senior officers of the A&N Administration and the staff of Meteorological Office, Port Blair.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister said, today yet another foundation stone is being laid and expressed happiness that the Ministry is taking step to ensure the safety and security of the life of the common people. This Meteorological Centre will provide critical services to all our daily activities. He stated that these Islands are very important and critical for whole of the country and we have to ensure that these Islands become a fulcrum of development and also fully equipped with all necessary modern amenities.
The Minister mentioned that the whole world knows that climate change is a real thing and we must focus our attention to arrest global warming. The global community has to come together, specially for the people living in coastal area and we are taking many steps for the protection of the environment. The Minister remarked that foundation stone laid for this Meteorological Centre in A&N Islands will provide basic information about the weather forecast to the Mainland besides it will also give service to the neighbouring countries. Now, India has already become the country to provide tsunami warning information to all other countries in the Indian Ocean region and also about the Ocean Atmospheric phenomenon which is affecting the life of fishermen and everybody who are using the sea route either by flight or ship. The Minister said that functioning of INCOIS in Hyderabad and IMD Centres are basically same. One is providing service on the Ocean side and another is providing service in the land side. Since Andaman is an Island State, we need to collaborate with the Centres. We have lots of high-tech machineries and mechanisms which need to be integrated while providing services to the people. Once we have the Doppler Radar established in the Met Centre in A&N Islands, it will have a range close to 150 kilometer distance because all the weather forecast is based on the observations. The more observation, we have more data, and then the accurate forecast and other predictions are provided. We must be able to give a long term weather forecast to the maximum level of accuracy. We are really advancing in so many fields when comes to the atmospheric science, the Minister added.
The Centre coming up in Port Blair in a place which is popularly known as Hawaghar Jn. and once we install out Doppler Weather Radar and other building components are completed, the common people can visit the Met Office. The Minister urged the IMD officials to set up a Selfie Point at the Met Office premises, so that the students who are inclined towards climate science can come to this centre and take advantage from it. This Centre should act as Common Visiting Centre for everybody so that people can understand the common weather pattern, how the forecasting of weather is done, the functioning of the Dopler Radar etc. and urged the authorities to make sure that this particular place becomes a beautiful spot. He said, the Ministry will see that this Centre develops as one of our finest Meteorological Centre of the country and complete it timey to provide services to the people.
In his address, the Lt. Governor welcomed the Minister and said that the Minister is visiting after 10 years and his last visit was in 2014. We the islanders are extremely delighted and it’s a matter of absolute privilege for the Islanders that such futuristic projects are being executed here which will complement and contribute towards the attainment of ‘Viksit Bharat’ Vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi.
The Lt. Governor further stated that now A&N Islands are progressing rapidly in the last six to seven years with many projects coming up. The Lt. Governor said, under the able guidance of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and the schemes of IDA, the development of these Islands has gained new momentum. With investment plans of more than Rs 95,000 crore in infrastructure in the last six years, this strategically important archipelago for the country is fast moving towards becoming a Global Growth Destination, the Lt. Governor informed.
Welcoming the chief guest and others present on the occasion, the Head, RMC Kolkata, Dr. Somnath Dutta said that the Met Office Port Blair is one of the oldest Central Government Offices established in A&N Islands providing weather and climate services, including monitoring, prediction warning to the different societal sectors along with for the general public and Aviation marine sectors. Considering the gravity of the enhanced activities of this office, status of this office has been upgraded from Meteorological Office to Meteorological Centre in July, 2023. To upgrade the infrastructure of the Office to keep pace with the upgradation of the status, it has planned to construct a new office building at the proposed land nearby, obtained from UT Administration, he said.
Proposing the vote of thanks, the SC.-E& Head, Meteorological Centre, Port Blair, Dr. Suprit Kumar thanked the Hon’ble Minister for Earth Sciences for laying the foundation stone for the New Office Building.