New Delhi, Aug 28 (PTI) The government plans to revive the network of district agrometeorological units, which provided detailed block-level weather-related information to lakhs of farmers in the country until the India Meteorological Department directed their closure earlier this year, according to officials.

Several politicians, including Union minister Nitin Gadkari and Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, had opposed the shutdown.

Also Read | Vikhroli Dog Attack: Dog Trainer Dies After Being Attacked by Great Dane in Mumbai, Family Alleges Foul Play; FIR Registered.

"Human intelligence plays a crucial role in weather forecasting, even when we use models, artificial intelligence and machine learning," an official told PTI when asked if there's a plan to revive the district agrometeorological units (DAMUs).

"DAMUs were temporary in nature, with staff hired on a per-project basis. The ad-hoc nature of posts affected the forecast quality. There will be a permanent structure in place this time. The manpower will include both permanent and contractual staff. We aim to formalize and structure the process," the official said.

Also Read | ‘Time for India to Wake Up’: President Droupadi Murmu Expresses Anguish Over Kolkata Doctor’s Rape-Murder, Slams ‘Collective Amnesia’ of Society Towards Crimes Against Women.

In 2015, the government launched the Gramin Krishi Mausam Seva (GMSV) to provide crop and location-specific detailed advisories to farmers, aiding them in day-to-day decision-making.

Over the years, 130 agromet field units (AMFUs) were set up in agro-climatic zones in the country in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Each AMFU caters to four to five districts.

In 2018, the government decided to extend the reach of the service by setting up 530 district agromet units on the premises of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK). However, the Covid pandemic impacted the process, and only 199 DAMUs could be set up, each with two contractual employees - SMS Agromet and Agromet Observer.

In a meeting of the Expenditure Finance Committee held in February last year, a senior advisor of Niti Aayo had suggested reevaluating the "necessity of providing staff at each DAMU".

The official suggested the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) may have "centralized units instead of field units as the collection of data is automated".

On January 17, the IMD wrote to all the DAMUs, asking them to wind up their operations by the end of the financial year 2023-24.

According to sources, the Ministry of Earth Sciences want the agriculture ministry to bear the expenditure for DAMUs.

"The data collection is automated. The IMD analyzes it and prepares forecasts centrally; DAMUs only disseminate advisories. The agriculture ministry is responsible for dissemination work, and therefore, it should be the nodal ministry," an MoES official had said earlier.

In a letter to former Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh, Gadkari had said closure of DAMUs will have an adverse impact on agriculture production, food security, and livelihood of the farming community.

Earlier this month, Ramesh said that the DAMUs were shut down because the NITI Aayog "misrepresented" their role and sought privatisation.

Over the past six months, the Maharashtra-based Agrometeorological Units Association (AUA) has written to the Prime Minister, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, and Agriculture Ministry, requesting their intervention.

DAMU employees said lakhs of farmers depended on them for crucial agromet advisories, which have helped increase their resilience against worsening weather and climate impacts, reducing their losses and the claim amount under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)