Q. With reference to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), consider the following statements:
1.The organisation was set up by the provincial British government in the country.
2.It was originally headquartered in Madras.
3.It is a member of the World Meteorological Organisation.
4.It keeps track of atmospheric pollution in the country.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Explanations –
Statements 1, 3 and 4 are correct. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) was established in 1875 by the British colonial government to centralize meteorological observations and address issues like cyclones and monsoon failures. Its first (Imperial) Meteorological Reporter was Henry Francis Blanford. IMD became a member of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) on April 27, 1949, after India’s independence. Aside from tracking and studying phenomena like rainfall and cyclones, the IMD helps record earthquakes and atmospheric pollution and generates alerts and warnings about impending anomalous weather.
Statement 2 is incorrect. The IMD’s original headquarters were in Calcutta (now Kolkata). The headquarters were later shifted to Shimla in 1905, Pune in 1928, and finally New Delhi in 1944. It currently operates six Regional Meteorological Centres, a Meteorological Centre in every State capital, plus a panoply of centres for various meteorological services.
Source: The Hindu
