IMD to EC: Budget for climate
Ensuing heat waves may play havoc for the voters as polls are spread across seven phases
With the government contemplating the idea of simultaneous Lok Sabha and state elections, India Meteorological Department chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the authorities should certainly take weather conditions and the climate into consideration when planning for such a massive exercise.
Mohapatra told PTI in an interview that India will experience intense heat during the general election period, and the IMD is providing specialised forecasts to help authorities prepare better, but it has not proposed a change in the timings of public rallies and voting.
Around a billion people are expected to exercise their franchise during the sevenphase general elections between April 9 and June 1, heightening concerns about vulnerability to heat waves.
He said the Election Commission of India consulted the IMD before announcing the poll schedule. "We provided, at the initial stage, the climatological information for March, April, May, and June for different parts of the
country so that they can make a judicious decision on which part and at what time they should conduct the elections," he said.
Asked how severe the heat would be during the elections, the IMD chief said above-normal maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country in from April to June, especially in central and western India. The areas predicted to see more heatwave
days are Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Marathwada, Bihar, and Jharkhand. Some places may record over 20 days of heatwave.
‘AI to enhance predictions in the next five years’
“We have started using Artificial Intelligence in a limited way but within the next five years, AI will significantly enhance our models and techniques," Mohapatra said, adding that the IMD has digitised weather records for the country dating back to 1901 and artificial intelligence could be used to sift through this plentiful information to generate knowledge about weather patterns. "Both AI and numerical forecasting models will complement each other to improve forecast accuracy," he said.
Bengaluru reels heat wave and water shortages
Bengaluru, known for its pleasant weather, recorded 37.6 degree Celsius on Sunday,, the highest that the mercury has gone in the past eight years. Large parts of Karnataka are reeling under a heat wave.
It rise in temperature has aggrevated the water crisis that has gripped the city. Last week the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board proposed a cut of 10% to big consumers (who use 20 lakh to 40 lakh liters a day). In view of the hot weather in Bengaluru, sunstroke wards have been opened in most hospitals, including the KC General Ward.