HAIL Control Technology The Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Shri Y.S.Chowdary told Lok Sabha in a written reply today that 10-minutes updates of cloud characteristics and rainfall rate and associated spatial distribution are getting generated for very short range (6hour) in areas covered under the radial range of Doppler Weather Radars (DWRs). He said that Nowcast of various severe weather phenomena including severe thunder storms and associated possible hail storm activity is becoming possible because of this. He further informed the house that specific agro-meteorological advisories preceding three major Hail/severe thunder storm events that severely impacted parts of Maharashtra-NW & Central India during 28 Feb. 1 March and during 13-16 March; J & K during 28-30 March of 2015 were issued on 27th Feb./3rd March; 12-13/17th March and 27/31 March respectively under Gramin Krishi Mausam Seva (GKMS) Program of ESSO-IMD for safeguards/remedial measures. The Minister said that there was specific Feedback from Farmers which indicated that i) Farmers from Uttarakhand harvested Toria crop prior to the intense rain spell that saved from shattering atleast 50% of its recorded yield (2.5 t/ha). ii) 8-Farmers from different villages of Amaravati District of Maharashtra have harvested their vegetable crops so as to avoid damage from the hail/rain.
