Himalayan vulnerabilities, cloudburst risks under evaluation: Dr Jitendra Singh

Jammu, Aug 20: The government has rolled out a dedicated mission project, “National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem” (NMSHE), to evaluate and sustain the fragile Himalayan ecosystem and another, “Mission Mausam”, to boost forecasting and early warning systems.

Union Minister of State (independent charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

The minister’s announcements gain significance in light of the increasing frequency of cloudbursts like Himalayan vulnerabilities, disaster proneness and other extreme weather events that have triggered widespread damage in recent times, including the recent cloudbursts in Kishtwar and Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and similar incidents in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

“Efforts are also being made to address urbanisation challenges and the pressure of tourism,” he said, adding that a national programme on urban climate and new research calls on extreme events were initiated.

The minister said the Department of Science and Technology (DST) sanctioned over Rs 111 Cr since 2018 under the “National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem” (NMSHE).

The mission, according to him, is studying the vulnerabilities of the Himalayan region to climate change, with a focus on landslides, soil erosion, glacial changes and increasing urbanisation pressures. Vulnerability assessments have already been carried out across 698 districts in the country, including Surat, which has been identified among the high-risk zones for flooding.

Dr Jitendra informed that State Climate Change Cells were set up in 13 Himalayan states and union territories to conduct risk assessments and assist in the implementation of state-level climate action plans.

“A National Expert Committee has also been constituted to regularly review research projects, while a Centre of Excellence on disaster risk reduction has been established at IIT Roorkee. Research institutes such as the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology in Dehradun have been tasked with deepening scientific studies on earthquakes, landslides and glacial systems,” Dr Jitendra stated.

The Union Minister underlined that the mission was timely, given the increasing frequency of cloudbursts and other extreme weather events that triggered widespread damage in the Himalayan belt in recent years.

Linking this to broader climate preparedness, Dr Jitendra also informed Parliament that the Ministry of Earth Sciences launched Mission Mausam, aimed at making India “weather-ready and climate-smart”.

“The initiative seeks to strengthen forecasting systems, improve disaster management and ensure last-mile delivery of weather services,” he said.

Under the mission, the India Meteorological Department, according to the Minister, has developed BharatFS, a six-kilometre resolution weather model—currently the highest-resolution operational forecasting system in the world.

This will allow forecasts at the block and panchayat levels, making them more useful for farmers, disaster authorities, and local communities.

“In addition, the ministry is expanding observational networks, integrating artificial intelligence into prediction models, and improving outreach through state-wise climate statements and open-access reports,” Dr Jitendra said.

The government, according to him, is also pursuing “Deep Ocean Mission” projects to explore seabed minerals such as copper, nickel, cobalt, and gold while mapping vulnerabilities in coastal areas.

“Nearly 1,300 new deep-sea organisms have been catalogued in recent surveys, with 23 species newly identified to science,” he said.