J&K to get its first automatic weather station this year

New Delhi, Mar 23: The Union government on Monday said that one Automatic Weather Station (AWS) will be installed in Jammu and Kashmir in 2026 under Mission Mausam Phase-II to strengthen weather monitoring and agro-advisory services.
Replying to a question in Lok Sabha, the Ministry of Earth Sciences said that around 200 Agro-AWS will be deployed across the country during 2026, aimed at improving agro-meteorological observations and providing better weather-based advisories to the agriculture sector.
According to official data, Jammu and Kashmir has been allocated one such station under the proposed expansion plan.
The Ministry further said that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) currently operates 1,008 Automatic Weather Stations across the country, including 17 in Jammu and Kashmir.
The government added that these stations play a key role in strengthening weather forecasting systems and supporting sectors like agriculture, disaster management and aviation.
It also clarified that there is no proposal at present to install new AWS alongside existing departmental observatories, and locations are selected based on technical feasibility, coverage gaps and observational requirements.
The Centre said the initiative is part of broader efforts to enhance India’s meteorological infrastructure and ensure better climate resilience, including in regions like Jammu and Kashmir. (KNO)