Improved technology to assess and deliver meteorological data to pilots and crew at Indian airports has made take-off and landings of flights risk-free, particularly under conditions of low visibility.

Reduced winter visibility due to fog can be a major deterrent to transport operations. The indigenously developed Drishti-transmissometers installed at Indian airports have successfully managed to overcome this challenge.

The IMD’s agromet services for farmers are proving to be extremely useful to fight the threat of increasingly frequent climate uncertainties, and helping farmers hold out against extreme temperatures that can cause large-scale crop loss.

SAFAR is an indigenous technological initiative by the MoES for India’s urban centres that combines the best of weather and air pollution research to generate air quality forecast leading to preventive action for better health. In its five years of existence, SAFAR has notched up successes that have earned plaudits not only from large section of society but also from the World Meteorological Organisation.

Despite being a late starter, India has achieved a great deal within three decades of cryospheric research. Its stations in the Antarctic, Arctic and the Himalaya have undertaken significant research to unravel the linkages between polar ice sheets, climate change, Himalayan glacial mass and the Indian monsoon.

The Earth Systems Model and the CORDEX programme of Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune are indigenous initiatives that has brought India closer to understanding the change in climate systems over South Asia.

India’s climate services are aimed at effectively conveying information to users in South Asia for informed decision-making to reduce risks from extreme events that are the norm in times of climate change.

Mining has affected the locals, especially the tribals whose lives are intrinsically linked to the ecosystem of the areas. A holistic approach is imperative to bring justice and inclusive egalitarian distribution of resources amongst all. Locals, concerned parties and the government have to work together to ensure and balance development with environment.

India is one of the 25 fluorosis endemic countries worldwide. Consumption of water rich in fluoride, especially groundwater, and food with high fluoride content needs to be checked to curb fluorosis.