Summary 7 radars installed in country whereas a total of 22 was needed for proper functioning, said DG Met
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Director General (DG) Meteorological Department Dr Ghulam Rasool on Monday stated that there was no weather forecasting system in 40 districts of the country, further revealing the weather prediction system in the country to be sixty years old, reported Dunya News.
While briefing the Senate’s Standing Committee on Climate Change, Dr Ghulam Rasool said that there were seven radars in the country whereas a total of 22 radars were needed. He added that a radar functions till a period of a decade whereas the radars installed in the country were 20 to 30 years old. Weather forecast system in the country was also revealed to be sixty years old.
DG Met said that storms can be predicted an hour or two before they hit an area with the installation of new radars, further stating that all provinces were given before-hand warnings regarding floods and torrential rains ahead of the start of the Monsoon season.
Dr Ghulam Rasool predicted heavy rains during the next two days in Balochistan, further stating that the province’s Chief Secretary was intimated about this information.
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) spokesperson Ahmad Kamal informed the committee that 44 telematic systems were installed in order to keep an eye over the flow of water in the rivers, further stating that 18 of these telematic systems were not functioning any longer whereas the rest were also in bad shape.
Kamal said that Ministry of Water and Power should either replace the telematic systems or repair them. Committee member Kulsoom Parveen advised that the Meteroligical Department and Ruet-e-Hilal committee should be made subordinate wings of the Ministry for Climate Change.
Mushahid Hussain Syed remarked over Parveen suggestions by stating that taking such an action could be dangerous.
