Odisha Govt, Skymet Sign MoU for Weather Data Network

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

The agreement, signed between the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment and Skymet, aims to enhance real-time weather data accessibility and improve risk mitigation in agriculture, crop insurance, and disaster preparedness across the state.

Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo hailed the initiative as a critical step toward strengthening climate-resilient farming and improving the implementation of schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). “Accurate weather data is essential for better crop planning, risk assessment, and yield forecasting. This initiative will empower farmers, streamline insurance claim assessments under PMFBY, and encourage crop diversification,” he said.

As part of the project, Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) will be installed at the block level and Automatic Rain Gauges (ARG) at the gram panchayat level throughout Odisha. These devices will form a decentralized and robust weather monitoring network to support data-driven agricultural decisions and disaster response.

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

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