IMD launches system to monitor aerosols in atmosphere

Aiming to help the country in studying the concentration of black carbon in atmosphere due to air pollution and its impact on climate, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday launched a System of Aerosol Monitoring and Research (SAMAR). 

Aerosols are a subset of air pollution that contain gases, fumes and dust in harmful proportion. Aerosols particles can be both solid and liquid, which also affect environmental visibility.

The SAMAR, equipped with many sophisticated equipment, including 12 sky radiometers, will study aerosols' different properties and determine how it impact the climate over a longer period of time. At present, the country has to depend on other countries' research for this purpose.

The system was launched by the Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan on the IMD’s 141st foundation day on Friday. He also launched a user-friendly website of the country's central weather forecaster on the occasion.

The Minister congratulated the meteorological department officials for the timely dissemination of critical weather-related information to 1.15 crore farmers through SMS and agriculture-portal in 2015, saying the efforts had gone a long way in reducing the devastating impact of the erratic rainfall on the Kharif crops.