Chennai (Tamil Nadu): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking upgrading of the weather forecast system in the Indian Meteorological Centre (IMC) in Chennai since the IMC was "unable" to predict the red-alert situation.
Citing Thursday's heavy downpour in Chennai and other districts, the CM highlighted how the IMC failed to provide accurate real-time rainfall forecast preventing the state government to take up timely mobilisation of the emergency management system.
Heavy rains threw life completely out of gear in the state capital on Thursday night.
In his letter, Stalin said that the state government relies substantially on the alerts issued by the IMC in Chennai for gearing up the administration to handle impending disaster situations arising out of intense rainfall.
"A timely alert from the Indian Meteorological Centre helps the state and district administration to take up pre-emptive efforts to ensure the safety of the people," reads the letter, a copy of which was shared on Twitter by Stalin's office.
"...By 4:15 pm (Dec 30), the IMC issued an orange alert. By this time there was high intensity heavy downpour all over Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpet districts resulting in inundation of many places and total disruption of traffic in the city," the letter added.
The Chief Minister further said that such shortcomings in the capability of the Indian Meteorological Centre in Chennai to provide real-time rainfall forecasting results in total disruption of normal life, movement of healthcare support systems, damage to critical infrastructure and loss of lives.
In light of this, Stalin sought Union Home Minister Amit Shah to make additional investments in advanced weather prediction mechanisms and upgrade the technology being used in the Indian Meteorological Centre.
