New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) celebrated its 150th anniversary with a unique artistic initiative, the ‘Mausam Bhawan Special Art Showcase,’ inaugurated today by Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (MoES), at IMD headquarters in New Delhi. The event, in collaboration with Delhi Street Art (DSA), highlights the evolution of meteorological science in India through 38 large-scale mural paintings.
The initiative aims to bridge science and public engagement by using art to depict India’s diverse weather patterns, technological advancements in forecasting, and climate awareness messages. Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of IMD discussed how meteorology has become more integrated into daily life and disaster preparedness.
The Mausam Bhawan murals are expected to last up to a decade, depending on weather conditions. IMD and DSA collaborated closely to ensure the artwork authentically represents India’s climate landscape. Dr. Mohapatra praised the initiative, stating that it’s a powerful tool to educate citizens about the importance of weather forecasting beyond emergencies.
Mayuri Saini, Director of Delhi Street Art told ETV Bharat, "It took About six weeks and around 40 artists to make all these 38 paintings. This is a huge project. There are 38 panels and each panel is 20 feet wide by 8 feet height. So it's a very unusual panel of Art on the weather. And there's nothing like this that we've seen before in India, where there is a collection of Art wall mirrors altogether, depicting different forms of Art. So, of course, it's a very big occasion because it's the 150 birthday of IMD, which is remarkable. It's a huge legacy."
Saini said that it's also for Delhi Street art, a huge Legacy because we've completed 12 years and our founder, Yogesh Saini. "He had created such a big vision of using every space, every stone for beautification to make something fantastic. That could share a message that could bring the community together. And that's what we've done here. We have been able to share a message, which is about the weather. The impact, the weather has on us, the technology in the science of it, which has so development changed over these 150 years, it's the equipment, the technology. We have shown that in our art, as well, on the other side of the gate, we have done panels, which show what you should do and what you should not do," Saini said.
Saini further said that during different weather situations, like a thunderstorm, you should know that you should not be outside, you should stay inside, many different aspects, which we don't understand. "In this process of creating this art, we have understood so much about science and technology. Together they can be a form of beautification as well as a message, which is what Yogesh started to do. The Message we want to give to people is that you can see art in every form and sphere and everywhere in your own life, both for understanding things and for a level of freedom of taking the beautification in your life to another level. And that's one of the major things that has come out here," he said.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said, “Over the past ten years, we have witnessed a turning point. Since 2014, things have changed significantly. Now, we don’t just make claims, we present statistical evidence. For example, before 2014, there were only 15 radar stations, but today, that number has nearly doubled to 30, with one more recently added. Similarly, the number of automated weather stations has more than doubled from 700 over the last decade. Weather forecasting has become a key tool in planning daily activities."
The Minister said that today, people can get three-hour forecasts to organize their events accordingly and the reach of weather services has expanded, previously available in 1,120 cities, forecasts now cover 1,200 cities across India. The number of radio stations broadcasting weather updates has also increased, rising from 33 to 56 since 2017 under this government, he said.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the forecasting accuracy has improved by 50%. "Regardless of scepticism, the impact is evident, people in severe monsoon areas like Mumbai now check weather updates on WhatsApp before heading out. Parents have even consulted IMD experts before finalizing wedding dates, showing the growing trust in our meteorological services. This progress aligns with the government’s broader technological initiatives."
He said that in the first 100 days of this administration, three significant decisions were made in this sector: Mission Mausam, originally conceptualized in 2002, has been reinvigorated, a ₹2,000 crore viability fund for space startups to strengthen corporate and research collaborations and a ₹50,000 crore National Research Foundation to drive technological growth, including improvements in forecasting systems.
