Vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday said the India Meteorological Department (IMD) is much beyond weather forecast as he highlighted that from farmers farming the land to jawans guarding the borders, it plays an important role.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of celebrations to mark 150 years of IMD, the VP said, “IMD is much beyond just weather forecasts. We have come a long way. It provides a safety net from natural disasters, and is extremely useful for our security concerns. From agriculture to healthcare, aviation to energy, it is present in our life and with an affirmative stance. Farmers farming the land to jawans guarding the borders, IMD plays a critical positive role.”

Citing that the IMD’s impact extends beyond the border, he said the neighbouring countries also rely on the weatherman’s expertise.

“We had cyclone Biporjoy. Thanks to IMD inputs, our preparedness, disaster management schemes, and coordination among various agencies, a large part of IMD’s accurate warning resulted in zero fatalities. The impacts are beyond our borders. Our neighbours in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea rely on IMD’s expertise, as evidenced by the praise Bangladesh and Myanmar received for their minimum casualties during cyclone Mocha, a testament to IMD’s foresight,” Dhankhar said as he commended the IMD.

The VP further said, “Gone are the days of fragmented disaster management. Today, a robust system ensures a predictable mechanism for financing not just response, but mitigation, preparedness, and recovery. I could see inputs made available by IMD, Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force acting in tandem ensuring not a single mortality on high seas, hardly damaging two vessels, and ensuring coastal areas were cleared.”

Dhankhar also said that due to IMD’s unwavering commitment, the farmers’ income has gone up.

Calling upon the corporate leaders to handhold institutions like IMD to promote research and development (R&D), the VP said, “If you look at the developed world, research is initiated and funded by the corporates.”

The VP also launched a mobile app of the IMD on the occasion at the Vigyan Bhawan.