Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu): Citing the devastating floods in Tamil Nadu, senior DMK leader and State Minister for Milk and Dairy Development, Mano Thangaraj, said “upgrading our forecasting models and communication systems is essential to mitigate devastating effects.”
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he stressed the need for more immediate and accurate weather alerts to reduce the impact and loss.
He said we must be better equipped to predict and manage such calamities, reducing their devastating effects.
“It’s important to acknowledge that the unforeseen severity and impact of these events could have been mitigated with more precise and timely forecasts from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). A significant issue was the Time Discrepancy in the weather alerts,’ he said.
The gap between the issuance of the Red Alert and the actual flooding was much shorter than what could have been ideal, as some western models exhibit in those countries. This critical delay in our forecasting system underscores the need for more immediate and accurate weather alerts.
Furthermore, the differing rainfall predictions between the IMD and Western models are real, as some people from the west would acknowledge. While Western models anticipate heavier and more immediate downpours much more precisely, This disparity potentially affects our readiness and response to the flooding.
It is understandable that it is hard in tropical countries. Despite these challenges, this is not a time for blame but for collective ownership and action. The Tamil Nadu government has done its best under the circumstances, yet the insights from the IMD regarding the severity of the situation could have further reduced the impact and loss. With more precise warnings, the extent of property damage could have been lessened, and fewer people would have been stranded.
It is crucial to reflect on both the performance of our Meteorological Department and our collective response to such natural disasters. While the Tamil Nadu government has exerted considerable effort to manage this crisis, there is always room for improvement.
The recent events serve as a stark reminder of the escalating climate crisis, a global issue that now directly affects us in India.
It’s imperative for the Union Government to reconfigure their approach and take proactive steps.
‘Our response to the climate crisis must be swift, effective, and reflect the seriousness of the situation. It’s a time for collective responsibility and action, and we are committed to facing this challenge together,’ he added.
