New Delhi: State-owned broadcasters Doordarshan and All India Radio from Friday began broadcasting weather reports on Mirpur, Muzaffarabad and Gilgit in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in their prime-time news bulletins.
The weather segment of the news bulletins on DD and AIR included the update on cities of Mirpur, Muzaffarabad and Gilgit in PoK.
With summer temperatures rising, comprehensive weather coverage in news by Doordarshan and All India Radio as the national public broadcasters from across the entire territory of India has assumed focus, an Information and Broadcasting ministry statement said.
While DD News carries weather reports in its news bulletins every day in the morning and evening, All India Radio News carries all-important weather updates throughout the day in its main bulletins, the statement said.
"These weather reports cover every small detail from every nook and corner of the country while highlighting extreme weather conditions across the country, temperatures of various places from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Gilgit to Guwahati, Baltistan to Port Blair," it said without specifically stating that the PoK cities have been added in the weather updates.
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The state broadcasters have started the practice, but private news channels may follow suit, a ministry source said.
The move comes after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) Regional Meteorological Centre started including cities under PoK in its forecasts, a departure from its earlier format.