Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu met with Union Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh in New Delhi to discuss infrastructure and development projects affecting the hill state. The talks covered weather forecasting systems, farming initiatives and a proposed astronomical observatory in a high-altitude region.
What the state and centre discussed
The Chief Minister welcomed the Modi Government’s commitment to provide five Doppler Weather Radars to Himachal Pradesh. The state currently has three such radars located at Kufri, Jot and Murari Devi. Two additional radars are planned—one each for Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur districts—though site selection is still underway due to technical obstacles.
Beyond radars, the weather observation network will expand to include 20 Automatic Weather Stations, 24 Automatic Rain Gauges and 21 Automatic Snow Gauges. The state already operates 28 Automatic Weather Stations, 64 Automatic Rain Gauges and 84 Daily Rainfall Monitoring Stations. A service called Mausamgram will deliver village-level weather forecasts to help farmers and local communities make daily decisions.
Under the CSIR Aroma Mission, lavender cultivation has been introduced to Upper Bhamla in Mandi district, with 20,000 cuttings planted and 150 farmers participating. Early results have been positive, and plans include providing distillation units to farmers in the next phase to add value to the crop.
The two leaders also explored establishing a high-altitude sky observatory in Spiti in partnership with the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. The facility would serve scientific research, support student education and enable astro-tourism experiences for visitors.
What this means for you
If you live in Himachal Pradesh, improved weather radars and monitoring stations mean faster, more accurate warnings about storms and dangerous conditions in your region. Farmers will gain access to hyper-local weather forecasts tailored to their village. If you farm or know farmers, lavender cultivation offers a new cash crop opportunity with plans to supply processing equipment. And if you live near Spiti or enjoy astronomy, a sky observatory could create employment in tourism while advancing scientific research.