Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology; Minister of State for Earth Sciences; and MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh announced here that in Uttarakhand, while three Weather Radars have already been installed at Surkanda Devi, Mukteshwar and Lansdowne, three more radars will soon be commissioned at Haridwar, Pantnagar and Auli, thus further strengthening real-time forecasting capability for the region.

Addressing the "World Summit on Disaster Management", the Earth Sciences Minister described Uttarakhand as the most natural and appropriate venue for a global discussion on disaster resilience given its lived experiences, geographical sensitivities, and Himalayan ecosystem.

The summit was graced by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, Member of Parliament Shri Naresh Bansal, NDMA Member Shri Agarwal, Secretary, Science and Technology Shri Nitish Kumar Jha, Chairman of Graphic Era University Prof. Kamal Ghanshala, DG Shri Durgesh Pant, SDMA Vice Chairman Shri Rohila, along with faculty, experts, and students.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that Uttarakhand’s journey over the past 25 years, coinciding with its Silver Jubilee celebrations, has given the State a distinct identity in disaster response and governance. He recalled that the successful Silkyara Tunnel rescue operation, completed exactly two years ago, will remain a historic benchmark in global disaster management literature. He noted that future research on Himalayan disasters will invariably refer to Uttarakhand and to the leadership displayed by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami during critical moments. He emphasised that organising a global summit of this scale in a State that has both cultural richness and acute vulnerability gives the event profound symbolic significance.

The Minister highlighted that hydrometeorological hazards in Uttarakhand have risen sharply over the past decade, with the 2013 Kedarnath cloudburst and the 2021 Chamoli disaster marking decisive turning points. He said that scientific analyses point to a combination of climate change impacts, rapidly retreating glaciers, glacier-lake outburst risks, the fragile Himalayan Mountain system, deforestation, and man-made encroachments that obstruct natural drainage paths. He added that terms like “cloudburst” and “flash flood”, which were rarely used twenty-five years ago, have now become part of everyday vocabulary because of the growing frequency of such extreme events.

Dr. Jitendra Singh elaborated that the Government of India has significantly expanded Uttarakhand’s meteorological and disaster-monitoring infrastructure over the last ten years. He informed that 33 meteorological observatories, a network of radio-sonde and radio-wind systems, 142 automatic weather stations, 107 rain gauges, district-level and block-level rainfall monitoring systems, and extensive app-based outreach programmes for farmers have been established to improve early warning dissemination. He said that three weather radars have already been installed at Surkanda Devi, Mukteshwar and Lansdowne, and announced that three more radars will soon be commissioned at Haridwar, Pantnagar and Auli, further strengthening real-time forecasting capability for the region.

The Minister stated that India has initiated a specialised Himalayan climate study programme to analyse the conditions that trigger sudden cloudbursts, with the objective of generating predictive indicators for vulnerable districts. He mentioned that the “Nowcast” system, which provides a three-hour forecast and has been successfully used in major metros, is now being expanded across Uttarakhand to provide timely alerts to administrations and communities. He also highlighted the coordinated efforts of NDMA, the Ministry of Earth Sciences and several scientific institutions in developing advanced forest fire weather services, describing it as a whole-of-government and whole-of-science model for climate resilience.

Expressing concern over the lack of compliance in some regions with IMD alerts, Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted the need for stricter administrative response. He recalled a recent incident in Jammu & Kashmir where a newly appointed IAS officer prevented a major tragedy by immediately shutting down the highway following a red alert issued by IMD, demonstrating how timely action can save lives. He said that land-use regulations issued jointly by NDMA, the Ministry of Environment and the Urban Development bodies must be implemented with absolute seriousness to prevent long-term ecological and infrastructural damage. He also warned that illegal mining along riverbeds and near newly constructed highways is becoming a dangerous man-made threat, eroding foundations and amplifying flash flood impacts, and urged communities to recognise that short-term gains often lead to long-term destruction.

Dr. Jitendra Singh also spoke about transforming Himalayan strengths into economic opportunity through agri-startups and CSIR-led value-addition models. Sharing successful experiences from Jammu & Kashmir, he said that several young professionals, including B.Tech and MBA graduates, have left private sector jobs to join CSIR-supported enterprises because of higher incomes and better market linkages. He urged CSIR to work closely with the Uttarakhand Government to replicate these proven livelihood models, which combine science, entrepreneurship, and local resource utilisation.

Highlighting India’s growing global role in disaster resilience, Dr. Jitendra Singh noted that India is increasingly offering its technical expertise and services to neighbouring countries. He recalled Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s commitment at COP-26 to achieving Net Zero by 2070, and emphasised that disaster preparedness, climate adaptation, and early warning systems are integral to sustainable economic growth. Preventing economic loss, he said, is as important as generating new economic value, and disaster mitigation must therefore be seen as an economic as well as humanitarian priority.

Dr. Jitendra Singh congratulated Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, and all organisers for convening the World Summit on Disaster Management. He said the discussions and insights emerging from Uttarakhand will meaningfully contribute to the global narrative on disaster mitigation, climate adaptation, and resilient development, and reaffirmed the Government of India’s commitment to strengthening scientific capacity, forecasting accuracy and inter-agency coordination for vulnerable Himalayan regions.

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NKR/AK

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