Mumbai, May 22, 2026: Maharashtra State Disaster Management Authority has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, to strengthen Maharashtra’s preparedness and response systems for extreme weather-related disasters.
Under the partnership, Maharashtra has become the first state in India to integrate the Bharat Forecast System (BharatFS), an indigenous advanced weather forecasting model developed under the India Meteorological Department’s Mission Mausam, into its State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) through the Geospatial Decision Support System (GeoDSS).
The integration aims to improve situational awareness and enable faster, data-driven decision-making during weather-related emergencies. BharatFS can generate forecasts for areas as small as 6 km × 6 km, allowing predictions at the gram panchayat and sub-taluka levels, compared to earlier district-level forecasts. Officials said the system is expected to support preparedness efforts during the ongoing heatwave and the upcoming monsoon season.
The initiative will provide three-hourly high-resolution weather forecasts, support impact-based forecasting, automate trigger-based alerts for hydrometeorological hazards, and integrate with the CAP-Sachet platform for multi-channel dissemination of warnings through sirens, mobile alerts and public broadcasts. The system is also expected to improve preparedness for floods, thunderstorms and landslides.
Shri. Girish Gita Dattatray Mahajan, Hon’ble Minister, Disaster Management, Relief & Rehabilitation Department, Government of Maharashtra said, “This partnership marks an important step towards strengthening disaster preparedness systems in Maharashtra. The integration of BharatFS into the State’s disaster management framework will help improve timely early warnings, local-level preparedness, and coordinated response during extreme weather events, especially during the ongoing heatwave and upcoming monsoon season.”
Weather-related information such as rainfall, temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind speed, wind direction and cloud cover will be updated every three hours to improve near real-time monitoring and forecasting.
Smt. Vinita Vaid Singal, I.A.S., Principal Secretary, Disaster Management, Relief & Rehabilitation Department, Government of Maharashtra said, “The integration of BharatFS with Maharashtra’s GeoDSS platform will strengthen real-time situational awareness and support faster, more informed decision-making at State and district levels. This initiative will further enhance preparedness, coordination, and last-mile dissemination of weather-related early warnings.”
Dr. Bhalchandra P. Chavan, I.A.S., Director, State Disaster Management Authority said, “This collaboration places scientific weather knowledge directly in the hands of our district and local administrators and we aim to make these services directly accessible to citizens across the State. It is a practical and powerful step towards keeping our communities safe.”
The collaboration reflects Maharashtra’s broader focus on strengthening climate resilience and disaster preparedness through technology-enabled governance and institutional partnerships.
 1 1.png)
x
 (1).jpg)
