Bhubaneswar: In a significant move to strengthen weather-based agricultural planning and disaster management, the Odisha government today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Skymet Weather Services Pvt. Ltd. for the implementation of the Weather Information Network Data System (WINDS).

The MoU, signed between the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment and Skymet, aims to enhance weather data accessibility and improve risk management in agriculture, crop insurance, and disaster preparedness. Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo said the initiative will play a vital role in supporting schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).

Under the agreement, Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) will be installed at block level, and Automatic Rain Gauges (ARG) at gram panchayat level across Odisha. These installations will enable timely and accurate weather data collection, contributing to a robust and decentralized weather monitoring network.

The project will be jointly implemented by the Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Department and the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, with funding from the PMFBY budget managed by the Cooperation Department.

“Accurate weather data is critical for better crop planning, risk assessment, and yield prediction. This initiative will empower farmers, improve claim assessments under PMFBY, and promote crop diversification,” Singh Deo said.

The MoU was signed by Subham Saxena, Director of Agriculture and Food Production, and Jogesh Patil, CEO of Skymet Weather Services Pvt. Ltd.