Automatic weather data collection project hit as solar panels, other equipment stolen from stations
Automatic weather data collection project hit as solar panels, other equipment stolen from stations
Last year, the Maharashtra government had announced its plans to set up about 2,060 Automatic Weather Stations (AWSs) across the state, in partnership with Skymet. The ambitious project - Mahavedh - is meant to supply the latest weather information, including data about rainfall, to help farmers plan cultivation schedules and the government make policy decisions pertaining to agriculture. However, barely a few days into the first monsoon since the project became functional, the State Agriculture Department had to revert to its age-old system of collecting rainfall data by using manual rain gauges, after cases of thefts and vandalism were reported from AWSs installed in rural areas, hindering data collection.
Senior officials with Pune based Commissionerate of Agriculture said that they will continue to obtain rainfall data manually for a year, till the new system becomes stable and the data collection and supply system get streamlined. The agriculture department continues to obtain data pertaining to temperature, humidity, wind velocity and direction from Mahavedh as these attributes are not covered under the old system.
“This is the first monsoon since Mahavedh became operational. Within a week of the onset of monsoons, we realised that the new system can’t be completely relied upon as there were reports of thefts of solar panel and equipment from various places thus affecting weather data inputs from these places. If we stop our old data collection system and the new system gets interrupted due to some reason, our entire system will collapse. So, we resumed the old system from June 15,” said a senior official with the agriculture department.
The process of collecting date from some stations was severely hindered as the solar panels, which supply power to them, were stolen. Chief Executive Officer of Mahavedh, Yogesh Patil, said the state Agriculture Department has conveyed to them that they will continue with both the systems for one season, and also judge the positive changes brought in by the new system. The equipment installed at the stations were expensive, said Patil.
“At about 15-20 places across the state, solar panels were stolen. Vandalism of equipment has occurred just at one place. Since, solar panels… can be put to use elsewhere, they are being targeted by miscreants. But we are not too worried and we have written a letter to the state government, urging it to work towards creating awareness among the locals. If an AWN stops working, the locals will suffer as they will be deprived of weather updates and forecasts,” said Patil. He added, “The percentage of such incidents is not too high and we are hoping that with an increase in awareness, the thefts will stop”.
Inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in April 2017, Mahavedh was meant to provide real-time weather updates to farmers via SMS, to help them plan cultivation and harvesting, as well as take informed decisions. Skymet, which had won the bid in the public-private-partnership project, had the responsibility to set up and maintain the AWSs, while the state government provided the land required to set up the stations
Under this project, as many as 2,060 locations were identified across the state, and AWSs enabled with meteorological equipment to record rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind speed and wind direction were set up. Due to nature of its function, the AWN equipment can not be housed inside a closed-compound. It’s an open to air observatory with having a wire mesh compound that does affect wind flow.
The project was aimed at bringing better and more localised weather forecasting, as compared to the India Meteorological Department. IMD forecasts are limited to four zones and Mahavedh aims to provide forecasts till the taluka level.
Equipment at first Automatic Weather Station in Maharashtra disappears within months, replaced
The first Automatic Weather Station, which was installed in Dongargaon village in Nagpur district, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on April 30, 2017. Within a few months, the rain gauge, anemometer (a device to measure wind speed), and other weather instruments were stolen. The AWS was set up on a piece of land provided by the village gram panchayat. Five months later, a team from a Marathi newspaper found that only a inauguration board remained at the spot. The responsibility for maintaining the facility and its security rests with Skymet, said Gram Panchayat officials. “We had installed a light bulb at the station… but it was stolen by someone,” Sarpanch Devendra Gaur reportedly told the newspaper in September 2017. Giving an update on the incident, a senior agriculture officer with the Nagpur Division told The Indian Express that soon after the matter came to light, Skymet replaced the stolen equipment and data collection resumed at the AWS. “Some villagers seem to be responsible for the theft. After the incident, Skymet and Panchayat officials are keeping a close watch on the AWS,” said Dyaneshwar Tasare, an official with the Agriculture Department.
Last year, the Maharashtra government had announced its plans to set up about 2,060 Automatic Weather Stations (AWSs) across the state, in partnership with Skymet. The ambitious project - Mahavedh - is meant to supply the latest weather information, including data about rainfall, to help farmers plan cultivation schedules and the government make policy decisions pertaining to agriculture. However, barely a few days into the first monsoon since the project became functional, the State Agriculture Department had to revert to its age-old system of collecting rainfall data by using manual rain gauges, after cases of thefts and vandalism were reported from AWSs installed in rural areas, hindering data collection.
Senior officials with Pune based Commissionerate of Agriculture said that they will continue to obtain rainfall data manually for a year, till the new system becomes stable and the data collection and supply system get streamlined. The agriculture department continues to obtain data pertaining to temperature, humidity, wind velocity and direction from Mahavedh as these attributes are not covered under the old system.
“This is the first monsoon since Mahavedh became operational. Within a week of the onset of monsoons, we realised that the new system can’t be completely relied upon as there were reports of thefts of solar panel and equipment from various places thus affecting weather data inputs from these places. If we stop our old data collection system and the new system gets interrupted due to some reason, our entire system will collapse. So, we resumed the old system from June 15,” said a senior official with the agriculture department.
The process of collecting date from some stations was severely hindered as the solar panels, which supply power to them, were stolen. Chief Executive Officer of Mahavedh, Yogesh Patil, said the state Agriculture Department has conveyed to them that they will continue with both the systems for one season, and also judge the positive changes brought in by the new system. The equipment installed at the stations were expensive, said Patil.
“At about 15-20 places across the state, solar panels were stolen. Vandalism of equipment has occurred just at one place. Since, solar panels… can be put to use elsewhere, they are being targeted by miscreants. But we are not too worried and we have written a letter to the state government, urging it to work towards creating awareness among the locals. If an AWN stops working, the locals will suffer as they will be deprived of weather updates and forecasts,” said Patil. He added, “The percentage of such incidents is not too high and we are hoping that with an increase in awareness, the thefts will stop”.
Inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in April 2017, Mahavedh was meant to provide real-time weather updates to farmers via SMS, to help them plan cultivation and harvesting, as well as take informed decisions. Skymet, which had won the bid in the public-private-partnership project, had the responsibility to set up and maintain the AWSs, while the state government provided the land required to set up the stations
Under this project, as many as 2,060 locations were identified across the state, and AWSs enabled with meteorological equipment to record rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind speed and wind direction were set up. Due to nature of its function, the AWN equipment can not be housed inside a closed-compound. It’s an open to air observatory with having a wire mesh compound that does affect wind flow.
The project was aimed at bringing better and more localised weather forecasting, as compared to the India Meteorological Department. IMD forecasts are limited to four zones and Mahavedh aims to provide forecasts till the taluka level.
Equipment at first Automatic Weather Station in Maharashtra disappears within months, replaced
The first Automatic Weather Station, which was installed in Dongargaon village in Nagpur district, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on April 30, 2017. Within a few months, the rain gauge, anemometer (a device to measure wind speed), and other weather instruments were stolen. The AWS was set up on a piece of land provided by the village gram panchayat. Five months later, a team from a Marathi newspaper found that only a inauguration board remained at the spot. The responsibility for maintaining the facility and its security rests with Skymet, said Gram Panchayat officials. “We had installed a light bulb at the station… but it was stolen by someone,” Sarpanch Devendra Gaur reportedly told the newspaper in September 2017. Giving an update on the incident, a senior agriculture officer with the Nagpur Division told The Indian Express that soon after the matter came to light, Skymet replaced the stolen equipment and data collection resumed at the AWS. “Some villagers seem to be responsible for the theft. After the incident, Skymet and Panchayat officials are keeping a close watch on the AWS,” said Dyaneshwar Tasare, an official with the Agriculture Department.