Adapt innovatively to climate change: IMD Director General

Hyderabad

Director General of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) Mrityunjaya Mahapatra argued for collectively adapting mitigation strategies for the impending climate changes on human, agriculture and horticulture sectors.

Climate change will not only affect farmers and people in general, but also the Meteorological Department and we are moving forward with appropriate strategies, he said, while addressing the national conference on the Impact of Climate Change on Horticulture, jointly organised by Sri Konda Laxman Telangana Horticultural University, Department of Horticulture, NABARD, and the Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Ministry of Earth Sciences in Mulugu.

Mr. Mahapatra said that the current weather forecasts are only 40-50% accurate and this will be increased with multi-forecast models. He said that changes in cultivation, appropriate policies, and crop selection are needed in accordance with the fact that complete climate changes are currently visible.

He urged that crops should be cultivated using global action and local production methods. Research should be intensified towards crop varieties that can withstand climate changes and give high quality and good yields.

Telangana Horticultural University Vice-Chancellor Danda Rajireddy said that they were ready to provide every possible technical and research based solution to farmers to reduce the impact of climate changes on the horticulture sector.

Agricultural Secretary M. Raghunandan Rao, Director of the Department of Horticulture Shaik Yasmin Basha, NABARD Chief General Manager K. Udaya Bhaskar, and Borlaug Institute of South Asia Regional Programme leader Pramod Kumar Agarwal, were among present.

A textbook on “Introductory Agricultural Meteorology” and a book of abstracts prepared by experts were released.