Two additional radars are being installed in Kashmir as the MeT department monitors weather round-the-clock to avoid any difficulties to pilgrims embarking daily on Amarnath yatra ongoing since July 1.
A senior MeT official said that two more Doppler WeatherRadars were being installed for monitoring purposes.
“Those would be doppler radars but won’t be powerful likethe one installed in Srinagar,” he said, adding that the doppler radarinstalled at Srinagar covers weather activity in 100-kilometer radius range.
The MeT official said that portable Doppler Weather RadarSystem would be installed at Gumri and Uri.
“The process is in final stage,” he said.
These radars, he said would aid Automatic Weather Stations(AWS) established every year at Chandanwari, Sheshnag, Panjtarni, Holy Cave andBaltal during the duration of the annual pilgrimage.
The first update for pilgrims is released by the MeTdepartment at 4 am and in case of erratic weather conditions the ShriAmarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) and other officials involving in the conduct ofthe pilgrimage are informed at least three hours in advance.
The pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath attracts hundredsof thousands of devotees every year in July and August. The cave is located atan altitude of 3,888 meters in the Kashmir Himalayas of Anantnag district.
On Thursday at 2 pm, the MeT department issued an alert forpilgrims.
“Moderate to severe thunderstorm and shower with lightningand strong gusty winds most likely to hit (above 75percent) Kathua, Samba,Jammu, Udhampur, Reasi, Doda, Kishtiwar and Ramban during next 1-3 hrs fromnow,” read the alert.
“A spell of evening shower also likely en-route Phalgam-HolyCave-Baltal.”
Senior MeT officials here said that besides the pilgrims,other people alerted include all the officials involved in managing andmonitoring the pilgrimage.
“There are WhatsApp groups and alert gets circulated inthose,” a senior MeT official told Greater Kashmir.
He said that they monitor weather along the pilgrimageroutes round-the-clock and any signs of erratic weather conditions areinstantly communicated to officials.
In the last week of June, Dr K J Ramesh, director general ofIndian Meteorological Department made a two-day visit to Kashmir to take thestock of weather related issues during the pilgrimage.
Dr Ramesh along with Director MeT department J&K, SonamLotus, and others officials visited the pilgrimage routes in Ganderbal districtin central Kashmir and Phalgam route in Anantnag district.
According to World Meteorological Organization (WMO)standards for hydro-meteorological purposes, one weather station is recommendedfor an area of 100 sq. Kms in topographically complex mountainous regions likethe Himalayas.
However, there are only seven weather stations in the entireKashmir valley and six in the Jammu region.
Officials say that Meteorological Centre Srinagar caters tothe Meteorological requirements of the state of Jammu and Kashmir comprising 14districts of Jammu and Kashmir Divisions.
It is maintaining a network of 12 Departmental and part-timesurface observatories at Srinagar, Qazigund, Pahalgam, Kokernag, Kupwara,Gulmarg, Banihal, Bhaderwah, Kathua maintained in coordinating with Air Forcestations at Srinagar Awantipora, Udhampur, Jammu and Leh.