Context

Recently, Multinational restaurant aggregator and food delivery company Zomato unveiled India’s first crowd-supported weather infrastructure. 

Zomato Unveils India’s First Crowd-Supported Weather Infrastructure to Empower Businesses with Real-Time Data

The initiative is in line with the Indian government’s effort to predict weather patterns better and take timely decisions to mitigate damages to lives, livelihoods and economy. 

• In 2023, the Indian government launched the Weather Information Network and Data System (WINDS).
  • According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2023, extreme weather events and climate-related disasters have caused significant economic losses, reaching nearly $1.5 trillion globally in the decade to 2019. 

About Weather Information Network and Data System (WINDS)

• Deals with: It is a national level initiative that will integrate the existing infrastructure and expertise available with IMD, various State Governments and public/private technical organizations. 
• Launched by: It is a programmatic initiative by the Department of Agriculture & Farmer Welfare (DA&FW) and the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) to generate long-term, hyper-local weather data.  
• Aim: To create a large network of weather stations at the block and gram panchayat levels and to close the knowledge gap and empower decision-makers, farmers, and stakeholders at the grassroots level.

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Significance of Weather Information Network and Data System (WINDS)

• Data & Information: It will provide farmers with critical weather-related information and data.
• Strengthening of Infrastructure: It prioritizes the establishment of a robust network of meteorological stations.
  • It is a programmatic initiative to strengthen weather data infrastructure in India and to provide good quality weather datasets from a single digital platform. 
• Assessment: This vast network of weather stations will allow for accurate weather pattern monitoring, effective planning, risk assessment, and rapid response to meteorological concerns.
  • It set up a robust mechanism to integrate weather data, pooled from different weather observation systems in the country, into a single national level WINDS portal. 
  • It will synergise the efforts and the data collected by different stakeholders for larger usage in risk mitigation strategies of the Governments and ensure seamless and near real time dissemination of services.