Monsoon Mission of India

Monsoon has always been critical for India’s economy.  The current prediction capabilities are not adequate.  In recent times, several new approaches (high resolution, super parameterizations, data assimilation etc.) have shown that the variability in tropics can be reasonably resolved, thereby creating a great scope for improving the monsoon prediction. The mission will support focused research by national and international research groups with definitive objectives and deliverables to improve models in the short, medium, extended and seasonal range scales through setting up of a framework for generating dynamical forecasts and improving skill of forecasts. The mission will also support observational programs that will result in better understanding of the processes.

a) Objectives:

1. To improve Seasonal and Intra-seasonal Monsoon Forecast
2. To improve Medium Range Forecast.

b) Participating Institutions:

1. Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune
2. National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast, Noida
3. India Meteorological Department, New Delhi

c) Implementation Plan:

The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) will coordinate and lead the effort for improving the forecasts on seasonal and intra seasonal scale. National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) will lead and coordinate the efforts for improving the forecasts in the medium range scale up to week two forecasts. These will be made operational by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). In a bid to improve the skill of the forecasts in various temporal and spatial ranges, proposals will be invited from National as well as international Institutes on very specific projects and deliverables. Provisions for funding the National partners as well as the international partners will be year marked. These partners will be allowed to use the HPC facility at IITM and NCMRWF which will be suitably enhanced for the purpose. A National Steering group is being put in place to steer the program and review the progress of the mission.

d) Deliverables:

1. Establishment of a reliable forecasting system in the seasonal and intra seasonal scale
2. in the medium range scale up to week two

e) Budget Estimate : 290 crores*

(Rs. In crores)

* Fund for HPC has been kept in HPC facilities (please see 3.13)