India’s weather monitoring network may soon expand into the open seas, with a parliamentary panel urging the Centre to deploy floating radar systems on buoys to plug critical gaps in ocean observations and improve forecasting of cyclones and extreme rainfall.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on science and technology, environment, forests and climate change, headed by Bhubaneswar Kalita, made the recommendation in its report on the ministry of earth sciences, stressing the need to prioritise the project proposed by the Centre.
The committee noted that ocean-atmosphere interactions play a crucial role in influencing extreme weather events, including the formation and intensification of cyclones and extreme rainfall, and said the project should be implemented at the earliest.
“The Committee believes that such systems could significantly improve monitoring of cloud formation and rainfall dynamics over the seas and strengthen cyclone detection and tracking capabilities. The Committee, therefore, recommends the Ministry to accord due priority to the development and deployment of floating radar observation systems and provide adequate financial and institutional support for this initiative under Mission Mausam,” the report released on Wednesday said.
The recommendation comes amid concerns over gaps in ocean observations. Under Mission Mausam Phase II, the government aims to address these shortcomings, particularly as nearly 50% of current ocean observations are sourced from US institutions.
“Because of the current geopolitical situation, we need to very rapidly upgrade ocean observations because our seasonal predictions, especially for the monsoon, are completely dependent on ocean parameters. We are also asking other countries to upgrade their ocean observations so we are not dependent on one country,” said M Ravichandran, secretary, ministry of earth sciences.
The committee also recommended that the ministry coordinate with agencies such as the Central Water Commission and the Survey of India to develop scientific models for analysing riverine water flow, which would enable more accurate flood forecasting and help mitigate damage, particularly in flood-prone regions.
At the same time, the panel raised concerns about the pace of progress of the Deep Ocean Mission, a flagship initiative launched in 2021 with an approved outlay of ₹4,077 crore over five years to strengthen India’s capabilities in deep-sea exploration, resource assessment, marine biodiversity research and advanced ocean technologies.
“While the Committee acknowledges the efforts made by the Ministry and its institutions in progressing with certain components of the Mission, it observes with concern that the overall progress achieved so far does not appear commensurate with the objectives and timelines originally envisaged. The Committee further notes that key components of the Mission, including the Samudrayaan programme and the development of an integrated deep-sea mining system for polymetallic nodules, are still incomplete,” the report said.
The panel observed that only about ₹1,445 crore — around 35% of the total project outlay — has been utilised so far. “In the Committee’s view, the pace of progress under certain critical verticals of the Mission needs to be significantly accelerated to ensure that the intended outcomes are achieved within a reasonable timeframe. In this regard, the Committee recommends that the Ministry establish clearly defined and measurable milestones under each of the six verticals of the Deep Ocean Mission. The Committee further recommends that specific timelines be fixed for the achievement of these targets, along with a structured monitoring mechanism to periodically review progress and address implementation bottlenecks,” it said.
The Deep Ocean Mission comprises six verticals: development of technologies for deep-sea mining, human submersibles and underwater robotics; development of ocean climate change advisory services; technological innovations for exploration and conservation of deep-sea biodiversity; deep-ocean survey and exploration; energy and freshwater from the ocean; and establishment of an advanced marine station for ocean biology.
Among the key scientific outcomes so far is the design and system engineering of India’s flagship human submersible MATSYA-6000, capable of reaching depths of 6,000 metres with three aquanauts. Its subsystems have been realised, and wet tests were successfully conducted at L&T Harbour in Katupalli, near Chennai, during January-February 2025, the committee noted.
