Several defunct Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) and Automatic Rain Gauge (ARG) systems of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Jammu and Kashmir have been awaiting restoration for more than two years. As per sources, there are 4 AWS defunct in the Anantnag district. A few kilometres from Anantnag town, the leading AWS is also defunct for the last 2 to 3 months.
“Anantnag district, a source of river Jhelum and many of its tributaries have only one AWS at Pahalgam. The other AWS, a few kilometres away from Anantnag town, has remained dysfunctional for the past few months,” locals of the area said. Other AWSs in the Anantnag district defunct for the past year include Amarnath Cave, Chandanwari, Panchtarni and Sheshnag. Besides, all the 3 AWSs at Baramulla give no rainfall reading, although they provide the temperature data.
A cursory look at the IMD websites shows that all the three AWSs, including one at Kongdoori Gulmarg, “have no rainfall sensors or show no rainfall even when the area receives heavy rainfall”.
“The AWS at Bandipora shows no faulty rainfall reading even when there is heavy rainfall in the area while Automatic Rain Gauge which has temperature sensor installed and located nearby to the AWS show often temperature difference in the range +- 3°C, arising doubt about the accuracy of Automatic Weather Stations,” said a MeT expert.
Apart from Kashmir, the problem of faulty AWSs is found in Jammu. AWS at Chatha in Jammu is also defunct for quite some time. The AWS in the Shopian district shows very low or no rainfall, even when the whole district gets lashed by heavy rain. THE EXPERTS SAID THAT the AWS in the Pulwama district offers no or deficient rain even during heavy rainfall.
The AWS at Shalimar Srinagar gives improper temperature readings. The faulty nature of the system can be gauged from the fact that last month temperature shown by AWS crossed 36 degrees Celsius, which is an incorrect reading. As per the experts, it is not only AWS but Automatic Rain Gauge (ARG) systems also showing inaccurate readings.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) has said that extreme events will increase further in the world. As such, Automatic Weather Stations are the need of the hour. Getting updates every 15 minutes from these AWS would help predict and know accurately about the weather happenings in an area. This will also assist in researching other regions of J&K and understanding the weather trends, unlike remaining confined to data of 11 weather observatories of J&K.
