Mumbai, May 21, 2026
Maharashtra has taken a significant step forward in disaster management by signing an agreement with the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, that brings cutting-edge weather forecasting directly into the state’s emergency response infrastructure.
The partnership makes Maharashtra the first state to incorporate the Bharat Forecast System- an indigenous forecasting platform developed under the central government’s Mission Mausam initiative into its disaster management operations. The system will feed into the State Emergency Operations Center’s geospatial platform, giving officials access to weather data at an unprecedented local level.
What changes on the ground
The new system delivers weather forecasts down to 6 km × 6 km grids, which means predictions and warnings can now reach individual gram panchayats and sub-taluka areas rather than broader district-level zones. Updates arrive every three hours, covering rainfall, temperature, wind conditions, atmospheric pressure, and cloud cover.
For administrators dealing with heatwaves, monsoon flooding, thunderstorms, or landslide risks, this granularity translates into faster, more targeted decisions about evacuations, resource deployment, and public warnings.
The integration also connects with the CAP-Sachet platform, enabling automated alerts through sirens, mobile notifications, and public broadcasts when weather thresholds trigger concern.
Girish Mahajan, Disaster Management Minister emphasized the timing: “This will help improve early warnings and coordinated response during extreme weather events, especially during the ongoing heatwave and upcoming monsoon season.”
Vinita Vaid Singal, Principal Secretary for Disaster Management, noted that the integration “will strengthen real-time situational awareness and support faster, more informed decision-making at State and district levels.”
SDMA Director Bhalchandra P. Chavan pointed to the practical implications: “This collaboration places scientific weather knowledge directly in the hands of district and local administrators, and we aim to make these services directly accessible to citizens across the State.”
Emergency contacts:
• 1070 / 1077 – SDMA and DDMA helplines
• 108 – Ambulance and medical emergencies
