Amarnath Yatra 2023: IMD operationalizes Banihal Doppler weather radar to detect high-impact weather events

8 additional automatic weather stations installed, will press CAP Alert in case of any weather emergency: Officials

Ahead of the commencement of Amarnath Yatra 2023, the weather department in Kashmir has operationalized the Banihal Doppler weather Radar and installed around eight additional automatic weather stations for detecting high-level weather events for generating the weather forecast

A senior official at the Indian Meteorological Department, stationed at Kashmir’s weather department, told Ground Report that apart from already existing radars and weather stations, they have installed eight additional weather stations for generating the weather forecast during the pilgrimage period.

“Ahead of the commencement of the Amarnath Yatra, we have installed the additional weather stations, and along with that, the forecast we generate uses a 24-hour high-resolution model scan for the northwestern parts of J&K”, they said.

They said that they also generate the satellite images and update them on a half-hourly basis for the entire track from Jammu to Holy Cave, saying the track remains actively under monitoring during the Yatra period.

The official said that apart from the two functional radars in Jammu and Srinagar, they have also operationalized the newly installed Doppler weather radar, installed at Banihal top, saying that they will be used to monitor inclement weather.

“The Doppler weather radar at Banihal can help us detect high-impact weather events like cloudbursts around thirty minutes ahead, and we can make a prior alert for the public under the nowcast category of the forecast.

They added that apart from generating the seven-day forecast for Jammu and Kashmir and for the Yatra route, they also generate a three-hourly weather forecast--'Nowcast’.

“If at any time, any system develops we cannot wait for three hours, we immediately flash messages through Common Alert Protocol (CAP) alert in the required selected grid and the weather warning message will come on all active mobile users in that particular area,” they said.

The official said the facility is already in use for the last two years, saying that often people often receive weather warning messages about thunderstorms or lightning through this system.

“During the Yatra period, we will be also pressing in Common Alert Protocol (CAP) alert in case of any sudden weather system’, they added.

They said that while they will install display boards for regular weather updates at Pahalgam, Baltal, and at the holy cave, there will also be complete monitoring and dissemination from the integrated command and control centre in Srinagar.

Notably, last year during the Amarnath Yatra, at least 15 people died and over 20 were injured in flash floods triggered by a cloudburst near the Amarnath cave in Kashmir on 8 July, following which the Amarnath Yatra last year was suspended for three days.

As the countdown to this year’s Amarnath Yatra is nearing, preparations are in full swing for the pilgrimage which is set to commence from July 1, 2023. 

Earlier on Monday this week, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired a high-level meeting to take stock of the preparedness of departments and concerned agencies for the Amarnath Yatra.

The J&K Lt Governor took appraisal of the upgradation work of Yatra tracks and also directed the telecom service providers to enhance the network connectivity and increase the bandwidth along the Yatra route.

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