Karnataka to acquire eight Doppler radars for weather forecast

Karnataka plans to acquire eight high definition Doppler radars costing Rs 128 crore for precise weather forecast and to use it 'for the first time in the country' to help agriculture, horticulture, fishing and port departments, a top government official said here today.

"Such radars would be put to use for the first time in the country to help agriculture, horticulture, fishing and port departments to offer right advise to their respective beneficiaries,"Principal Secretary for Science and Technology, BT and e-governance, M N Vidyashankar told reporters here.

These imported radars would forecast weather in the entire state and installation would be done in four years, he said, adding the Centre has been requested to share the project cost
Vidyashankar also said Rs 100 crore has been sought for Science and Technology in the March 21 state Budget. "If the budgetary allocation is made, it will be the highest any state has allotted for Science and Technology," he said.

The budgetary allocation for Science and Technology in the state ending March this year stood at Rs 36 crore.

To a question Vidyashankar said registration for issue of unique identification numbers under Aadhar scheme by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) would be completed by December 2012 in Karnataka.

"The process was temporarily suspended on February 12. We are awaiting new guidelines from UIDAI and the process may restart from April. However, the entire Karnataka will be covered by December 2012," he said.