IMD at 150

India's journey into modern weather forecasting took a decisive turn 150 years ago with the establishment of India Meteorological Department during the British rule. The agency has come a long way since then, shaping the way the country predicts and responds to its diverse climate challenges

- RAJU SAJWAN

THE GENESIS of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) was rooted in necessity. The devastating tropical cyclone of 1864 that claimed over 60,000 lives in the then undivided Bengal, coupled with consecutive monsoon failures in 1866 and 1871, underscored the dire need for a scientific approach to weather monitoring and forecasting.

Recognising this, the British colonial government in the country set up IMD in 1875, bringing the 80 meteorological systems that existed across provinces under a central authority. It was a watershed moment in India's history, as the traditional wisdom of predicting weather was systematically combined with scientific methodologies.