India's 51st Doppler Weather Radar Inaugurated at Sambalpur, Odisha

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh opened India's 51st Doppler Weather Radar on 17 September 2026. The radar stands at Sambalpur in Odisha. The inauguration was done virtually. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi was present.

What changes in Odisha

Odisha now has three Doppler Weather Radars. The earlier two are at Gopalpur and Paradip. The new radar will sharpen weather watch over Western Odisha. It will also help nearby areas. These include southern Jharkhand and northern Chhattisgarh. Parts of north Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal also gain.

How the network grew

The country had only 14 such radars in 2014. The network now stands at 51. Around 40 more radars are planned under Mission Mausam. That will take the national total to about 81. The Minister called this part of a wider effort to observe and respond to extreme weather.

Beyond radars

The Minister said radar alone cannot deliver preparedness. Automatic Weather Stations are being set up across Odisha. Rain gauges are going up at district and school level. Radio sonde stations and microwave radiometers are being deployed too. The goal is a multi-layered observation network. That should allow forecasts that are local and precise. Such forecasts matter for farming, disaster management and power systems.

More radars in the pipeline

Dr Singh said Balasore, Puri and Bhubaneswar are next in line for Doppler Weather Radars. Automated weather monitoring is also expanding at Ranchi, Kolkata, Jagdalpur and Patna. The India Meteorological Department extends weather and early warning support to 13 neighbouring countries in the spirit of Neighbourhood First.

At a glance