Archive · 19 Sep 2026
India Expands Doppler Radar Network With Sambalpur Facility
A Doppler Weather Radar is a machine that uses radio waves to observe weather in the sky.
It can detect raindrops and estimate how far away they are.
It can also show whether rain and other weather systems are moving toward or away from the radar.
A new radar has been opened in Sambalpur, Odisha.
It will help experts watch storms, lightning and heavy rain in several nearby regions.
India now has 51 Doppler Weather Radars, while Odisha has three.
Mission Mausam is a government programme to improve weather forecasts and make the country better prepared for dangerous weather.
The radars send updated observations to forecasters about every 10 minutes.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh virtually inaugurated India’s 51st Doppler Weather Radar at Sambalpur, Odisha, on September 17.
The facility is expected to improve forecasting and early warnings across Western Odisha and nearby regions.
Odisha now has three Doppler Weather Radars, including systems at Gopalpur and Paradip.
The radar will provide data for parts of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.
Mission Mausam plans to add 40 more radars to strengthen monitoring of extreme weather events.
- Who
- Union Minister of State for Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh, virtually inaugurated the radar.
- What
- India’s 51st state-of-the-art Doppler Weather Radar was inaugurated at Sambalpur.
- When
- September 17; the source does not specify the year for the inauguration.
- Where
- Sambalpur, Odisha, with coverage extending to Western Odisha and adjoining areas.
- Why
- To strengthen weather observation, forecasting and early warnings for thunderstorms, lightning, heavy rainfall and other hazards.
- National radar network
- India’s Doppler Weather Radar network now has 51 radars.
- Odisha network
- Odisha has three radars at Sambalpur, Gopalpur and Paradip.
- Coverage
- The Sambalpur radar will provide data for parts of Southern Jharkhand, Northern Chhattisgarh, North Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.
- Mission Mausam expansion
- Mission Mausam plans to deploy 40 additional Doppler Weather Radars.
- Radar coverage area
- Indian Meteorological Department radars commonly cover an area of about 500 kilometres.
- Observation updates
- Radar observations are updated every 10 minutes.
- Mission Mausam budget
- The Union Cabinet approved a budget of ₹2,000 crore over two years for Mission Mausam in September 2024.