Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh virtually inaugurated India’s 51st Doppler Weather Radar at Kainsir in Sambalpur, Odisha on 16 September 2026, in a ceremony attended by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. The indigenously built C Band radar is the third such facility in Odisha after Paradip and Gopalpur and will operate round the clock for western Odisha. Its commissioning marks the expansion of the national radar network from 14 in 2014 to 51, with 40 more radars planned under Mission Mausam.
What Is a Doppler Weather Radar and How Does It Work?
A Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) sends radio pulses into the sky and studies signals reflected by rain, hail and dust. By measuring the frequency change called the Doppler shift, the India Meteorological Department tracks wind speed and direction and locates thunderstorms, heavy rain and cyclones in real time.
The principle is called the Doppler effect, named after Austrian physicist Christian Doppler. When a cloud moves toward the radar, the reflected waves return at a higher frequency. When it moves away, the frequency drops. The radar computer turns this shift into wind speed and direction. The time taken for the pulse to return tells the distance of the cloud. The strength of the return, called reflectivity, tells how intense the rainfall or hail is.
A conventional radar only shows where clouds are present. A Doppler radar also shows how they move inside. This difference makes it possible to spot rotation inside a storm, sudden wind change and fast growing thunderclouds. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) uses these inputs for nowcasting, which means very short range forecasts for the next 0 to 3 hours, and for warnings on thunderstorms, lightning, hailstorms, heavy rainfall and cyclones. Live radar images also support aviation safety, reservoir operation and disaster response teams.
51st Doppler Weather Radar at Sambalpur: Key Details
The Ministry of Earth Sciences commissioned the new radar at Kainsir in Jamadarpali near Sambalpur. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi formally inaugurated the facility on 16 September 2026 at an event held at Gangadhar Meher University in Sambalpur, while Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh joined through video link. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari and IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra were present at the venue.
The Sambalpur unit is an indigenously developed system built under the Make in India initiative. It is a C Band radar housed in a five storey building and it will function round the clock. The radar provides accurate rainfall and wind data within a radius of 250 km and tracks the movement of weather systems up to about 450 km. The project had started years earlier, was delayed for nearly a decade and was revived after the technical design and work order were completed, with installation finished in 2026.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Kainsir, Jamadarpali, Sambalpur, Odisha |
| National count | 51st Doppler Weather Radar of India |
| Position in Odisha | Third, after Paradip and Gopalpur |
| Type | C Band Doppler Weather Radar, Make in India |
| Accurate coverage | 250 km radius |
| Surveillance range | Up to about 450 km |
| Operation | Round the clock, continuous observation |
IMD Doppler Radar Network: From 14 to 51
The national Doppler Weather Radar network has grown from 14 radars in 2014 to 51 radars in 2026. Before the Sambalpur commissioning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) received data from a network of 50 radars operated by IMD along with the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and the Indian Space Research Organisation. The Sambalpur radar takes this count to 51. The government has announced that about 40 additional radars will be added across the country in the coming phase.
The expansion is part of a larger plan to fill observation gaps in interior, hilly and coastal areas. Official plans envisage deployment of 29 C Band, 45 X Band and 12 S Band radars across India, along with 19 wind profiler systems, 25 microwave radiometers and 60 new GPS radiosonde stations. These ground systems will be supported by automatic weather stations, automatic rain gauges, high performance computing systems named Arunika and Arka, and a new forecasting system called BharatFS that gives block level forecasts at 6 km resolution.
The IMD is the national agency for weather observation and forecasting. The department was established on 15 January 1875, with H. F. Blanford appointed as the first Meteorological Reporter. The IMD headquarters is located at Mausam Bhavan on Lodi Road in New Delhi and it functions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. The department celebrated 150 years of service in January 2025 and operates six Regional Meteorological Centres at New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Nagpur and Guwahati, supported by state level meteorological centres.
What Is Mission Mausam?
Mission Mausam is the central scheme for modernising weather observation and forecasting in India. The Union Cabinet approved the mission with an outlay of ₹2,000 crore over two years. The mission aims to make India a weather ready and climate smart nation by ensuring that no weather system in the country goes undetected and unpredicted.
The mission strengthens observation networks, high performance computing, advanced prediction models using physics based methods along with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, and last mile warning delivery. It includes new Doppler radars, radiosonde stations, wind profilers, microwave radiometers, disdrometers and decision support systems. The expected results include severe weather forecasts at about 5 km by 5 km resolution by 2030, impact based warnings, delivery of early warnings to every household by 2030 and an improvement of about 10 to 15 percent in forecast accuracy by 2030.
Mission Mausam Launched by Which Ministry
Mission Mausam was launched by the Ministry of Earth Sciences and unveiled on 14 January 2025. The Ministry implements it through the India Meteorological Department, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting with an approved outlay of ₹2,000 crore.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences is the nodal ministry for the mission. The Prime Minister unveiled the mission on 14 January 2025 during the 150th foundation day celebrations of the IMD at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The mission is being implemented in phases, with Phase 1 during 2024 to 2026 and Phase 2 during 2026 to 2031. The three institutes primarily responsible for execution are the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) at Pune and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) at Noida.
S Band, C Band and X Band Radars Compared
Weather radars use different radio frequencies for different needs. The wavelength decides the balance between range and detail. A longer wave travels farther with less disturbance from heavy rain, while a shorter wave gives sharper detail over a smaller area. India uses all three types to cover cyclones on the coast, general rainfall in the plains and cloudbursts in hills and cities.
The S Band radar works in the 2 to 4 GHz range with a wavelength of about 10 cm. It covers the longest distance and suffers the least signal loss in heavy rain, so it is preferred for cyclone tracking on the coasts. The C Band radar works in the 4 to 8 GHz range with a wavelength of about 5 cm. It gives a balanced mix of range and resolution and is widely used for rainfall estimation and storm warnings. The X Band radar works in the 8 to 12 GHz range with a wavelength of about 3 cm. It gives very high resolution pictures of clouds but covers a shorter distance, so it is useful for cities, mountain valleys and gap filling in difficult terrain.
| Type | Frequency and Wavelength | Typical Range | Strength and Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| S Band radar | 2 to 4 GHz, about 10 cm | Longest, up to about 400 to 450 km for tracking | Best for cyclones and heavy rain, low signal loss |
| C Band radar | 4 to 8 GHz, about 5 cm | Medium, about 250 km for accurate data | Balanced range and detail, used at Sambalpur for western Odisha |
| X Band radar | 8 to 12 GHz, about 3 cm | Short, about 100 km for high detail | Sharp images for cloudbursts, urban storms and hilly gaps |
Why Sambalpur Radar Matters for Odisha and Neighbouring States
The Sambalpur radar fills a long standing observation gap in interior Odisha. The two earlier radars at Paradip and Gopalpur mainly watch the coast and approaching cyclones from the Bay of Bengal. The districts of the interior had no precise system for tracking fast forming thunderstorms, lightning, hail and local heavy rain. The new radar brings western and central Odisha directly under continuous watch.
The coverage will benefit 13 districts, namely Sambalpur, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Deogarh, Sonepur, Balangir, Boudh, Nuapada, Angul, Kalahandi, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal. Adjoining pockets of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand also fall within range. Since weather systems do not follow state borders, the radar will act as a regional observation point for central eastern India, helping farmers, mining and industrial belts and forested tribal areas with earlier warnings.
The radar is also important for the Hirakud Reservoir on the Mahanadi river at Sambalpur. Accurate rainfall estimates and advance forecasts help managers control water inflow, plan flood releases, protect catchment areas and manage water for irrigation and hydropower. For the farming community, early alerts on lightning and hailstorms can save lives and crops. The state government has linked the facility to its zero casualty approach to disaster management, under which timely warnings are sent through the Common Alert Protocol, mobile apps, the Mausam and Damini apps and local networks.
Key Takeaways
- India’s 51st Doppler Weather Radar was inaugurated at Kainsir in Sambalpur, Odisha on 16 September 2026.
- The Sambalpur facility is a C Band Make in India radar with 250 km accurate coverage and tracking up to 450 km, and it is the third radar in Odisha after Paradip and Gopalpur.
- The national DWR network expanded from 14 in 2014 to 51 in 2026, with 40 more radars planned under Mission Mausam.
- Mission Mausam was launched by the Ministry of Earth Sciences and unveiled on 14 January 2025 with an outlay of ₹2,000 crore, and it is implemented by IMD, IITM and NCMRWF.
- The India Meteorological Department was established on 15 January 1875 and is headquartered at Mausam Bhavan in New Delhi under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- S Band (2 to 4 GHz) gives the longest range for cyclones, C Band (4 to 8 GHz) gives balanced coverage and X Band (8 to 12 GHz) gives high resolution over short range.
