Weather station and piezometer commissioned in Dimapur

April 24, 2022 81 Views No Comment

Dimapur | April 24

Weather forecasting and ground water management in Dimapur is expected to get a boost with the Nagaland Water Resources Department commissioning an Automatic Weather Station (AWS) and Piezometer on April 23.

Funded via the National Hydrology Project, the assets were installed as part of a country-wide initiative to improve “the extent, reliability and accessibility of water resources information and to strengthen the capacity of targeted water resource management.” The project also included the construction of a Hydrology Project Convention Centre at the same venue.

AWS, which monitors meteorological parameters, are crucial to agricultural science, besides disaster management.

Piezometers are used for systematic measurements of water levels to provide essential data needed to evaluate changes in the resource over time, to develop ground-water models and forecast trends and to design, implement and monitor the effectiveness of ground-water management and protections programmes.

The NHP’s focus is on facilitating acquisition of reliable information efficiently which would pave the way for an effective water resource development and management.

Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, who commissioned the project today at 4th Mile, said that it will go a long way in the management of water resources for farming, industrial sectors and even for domestic purposes. With climate change posing a threat to existence, conservation should be the mantra through the adoption of sustainable water use. “If we continue to abuse (natural resources), we will definitely face a crisis. Our rivers, our streams, our traditional spring wells are drying up. Using tech to study, to learn will immensely benefit the people,” he said. He added, “Our land is blessed with fertile soil and we have plenty of rainfall. But we follow the indigenous method of cultivation.” Applying scientific knowhow to the existing traditional practices would aid in achieving sustainable use of natural resources and food sufficiency, he said.

Hotovi Ayemi, Chief Engineer, Water Resources Department, who is the nodal officer for the NHP in Nagaland, said that the Project Implementation Plan (PIP) for Nagaland has been approved at an estimated cost of Rs.23cr. Under the project, he informed that the Department has been able to establish “hydro met observation networks” with Real Time Data Acquisition System (RTDAS) being one of the major activity carried out throughout the State. RTDAS consists of a telemetric network of automated rainfall stations, automated weather stations and water level recording stations along the major rivers. He added, “Hydrometric observations coupled with real time telemetry is the basis for objective analysis of water resources. It is expected to allow operators to consider numerous operating criteria & impact decision making rapidly, efficiently and consistently.”

The Department has so far set up 2 other Piezometers in Kohima and Mokokchung. “However considering the drastic climate changes globally, leading to the depletion in the surface water, there is urgent need to explore the ground water, for which the department envisages to propose additional piezometers in the remaining districts to be accommodated under this programme,” he said.

He further said that the setting up of the State Data Centre, earlier in February, will serve as a valuable data hub and for which he added that the active participation of all the line departments would be crucial.

Setting up an asset is one, sustaining it is another; and for this, he said that operating and maintaining the assets will require trained personnel. “As such, the department is proposing for conversion of post through cadre review,” he said.

Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/weather-station-and-piezometer-commissioned-in-dimapur