Odisha to Install 4 New Doppler Weather Radars, Confirms Minister Suresh Pujari

The Odisha government is giving its early warning systems an upgrade, announcing plans to install four new Doppler weather radars. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari shared the update at a disaster management review meeting on Thursday. This expansion brings radars designed to track wind speeds, monitor storm paths, and predict severe weather like cyclones, floods, and heavy rainfall, which means much better coverage for the state’s interior and high-risk districts.

Work on the Sambalpur Doppler radar is nearly done, and officials plan to open it soon. Minister Pujari didn’t mince words—he wants the other three radars in Balasore, Bhubaneswar, and Puri installed and fully operational before the year ends. The meeting didn’t just check in on construction—it tackled project budgets and speed, with a special focus on how the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) is being spent. Minister Pujari made it clear that the state has no intention of letting red tape or budget problems slow things down. He pushed all departments to treat projects backed by the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) and National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) as top priorities and wrap them up ahead of schedule.

The radar network isn’t the whole story. The government looked at larger plans for climate defense and infrastructure. Departments now have marching orders to find and secure sites for new Multipurpose Flood and Cyclone Centres in several districts, making sure they work together closely to keep things moving. As for heat waves—a growing concern—Minister Pujari wants new Heat Wave Centres in vulnerable regions ready and working before next summer hits. The committee also mapped out emergency plans for the El Niño weather pattern, teaming up with the Water Resources Department to make sure the state’s reservoirs, water storage, and irrigation networks can handle any strain and support agriculture.

Top officials attended the review, including Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, Principal Secretary Shubha Sharma from Water Resources, Rural Development Secretary Yamini Sarangi, plus Dr. Manorama Mohanty of the IMD Bhubaneswar Centre. Executive Directors from the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) and other senior bureaucrats joined them to shape Odisha’s layered and coordinated disaster response—pulling together resources, expertise, and a sense of urgency.