Thiruvananthapuram: The state of Kerala, which was bashed by Ockhi cyclone and two major floods in the past three years, is set to rely on three private weather forecasters for the states climate and weather forecast services.
According to reports, Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), which was tasked to see if services of private weather agencies can be availed, has zeroed down on three of the four organisations shortlisted earlier on.
The decision to engage better hands has reportedly been made based on the understanding that the forecasts and warnings from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), a central institute, was vague and inaccurate during the 2017 Ockhi disaster and the floods in 2018 and 2019.
The sources revealed that Skymet, IBM Weather Company, and Earth Networks have got the nod and Rs.1 crore cleared as fees for their professional services for a year.
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The KSDMA had sought very particular data regarding the weather and climate forecast as the number of natural disasters affecting the state is on the rise.
It is being reported that despite several requests for such details, the IMD failed to provide region specific inputs.
Soon after the floods, a controversy had erupted between India Meteorological Department and the Kerala authorities over alleged lack of proper information from the weather forecaster to the state.
IBM Weather Company generates weather updates every 15 minutes. Sky Met Weather Services has 100 Automatic weather stations in Kerala. Accurate forecast detail on lightning is the factor that made the KSDMA choose Earth Networks.
States such as Karnataka, Odisha, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan have already been availing services from Sky Met Weather Services, IBM Weather Company and, Earth Network and Windy. This was also considered by the Kerala Government while engaging the three private companies.
Meanwhile, Dr Sekhar Luckose Kuriakose, Member Secretary KSDMA clarified that engaging these three companies does not mean IMD has been abandoned. The State DMA will continue to receive the information given by IMD, he added.
