Director Meteorological Department Kashmir ,Sanam Lotus is very well known figure among masses of Kashmir for providing them with much needed weather forecasting updates.
In an exclusive interview with The Kashmir Scenario, Sanam Lotus talks to Rameez Makhdoomi.
What are your target users?
Our users include administration as well as common people, especially all those people living in remote areas who have no accessibility to modern technology. Be it Farmers, Police, Travelers all depend upon our weather predictions so that they can take an informed decisions.
What are the latest technologies you use?
Earlier we used to have just manual observations not just this office but entire meteorological offices of India. In which manpower used to take observation of clouds, humidity, temperature and other weather related dynamics. But it was quiet a tedious process. While moving ahead with the technological pace, Indian Meteorological Department introduced Automatic weather stations.
All over the country there are about 900 weather stations installed, 15 are installed in the state of J&K. We have about 9 such weather stations in Kashmir. These weather stations are spread throughout length and breadth of the state. We have these in Srinagar, Jammu, Budgam, Baramulla, Shopian etc. Through the online Website of IMD one can watch latest weather updates about entire country and world.
From 1971, since the establishment of this observatory we have come along, although the concept remains same but with latest advancements and technology the weather forecasting has improved and will continue to improve with more advancement.
How crucial is the weather forecasting for our farmer community?
As far as agriculture is concerned, we know Kashmir economy is highly based on horticulture and agriculture especially rice. Farming activity is highly indispensible on weather forecasting .These are actually two sides of same coin. I will like to give you an example when our horticulture growers go for spraying there orchards but if it rains it will ruin his efforts. But if provided with proper weather updates he can take correct decision.
Weather forecasting actually helps farmers to take informed decisions. We in collaboration with SKUAST are issuing timely advisories to farmers. We get a very positive feedback from farmers on the overall efficiency of our weather forecasting updates which helps them a great deal.
Are we able to produce competent meteorological officials in our state?
Meteorology and weather forecasting is not that easy. Actually science of weather forecasting deals with applied physics and mathematics and we are having experts and come up to join the services after a very hard training.
Our work starts very early morning and deals with minute and keen analysis. I would also like to state that weather forecasting is never certain.
Why weather forecasting is at times uncertain?
As far as weather forecasting consists of several variables like temperature ,wind patterns ,humidity which keep on changing so it can never be hundred percent correct. Nevertheless with the advent of more technologies it has improved a great deal. With invention of super computers the data analysis and interpretation has more improved.
Is it true that weather forecasting is much more accurate in winters as compared to summers?
In winter there is not much convection, while as in summers there is much more convection which makes weather forecasting is much more difficult as earth gets more heated and transfer of energy is more sudden.