The India Meteorological Department (IMD) have Super Computers purchased in late 1980s. Its floating point operations per second (FLOPS) is 70. The Union minister of state for science and technology and earth sciences, Ashwani Kumar feels this is not enough. The IMD should have computing facility of 300 Terra FLOPS.

“An investment of $100 million is needed to have this facility. If we develop Super Computers of 300 Terra FLOPS, it will take five years. Import of these computers can reduce the period of five years. We have not yet decided whether we will develop these computers or import them. This has to be decided by the Union Cabinet,” he said.

According to Kumar these high speed Super Computers can quickly track the sea waves and ripples with greater accuracy and there would be a likelihood of predicting tsunami in advance. Not only tsunami but also earthquakes can be recorded with precision and efforts can be made to predict earthquakes in advance.

Kumar said that India was making advances in polar science and another station after Maitri will be set up in Antarctica by 2013.

India alongwith US and Australia is developing the world’s longest telescope which would be 120 metre long. This telescope will be positioned in Australia.

The minister said that 37,000 fishermen were being receiving weather data on their hand phones through SMS and voice mails. About 1.2 million farmers received advance weather information on their hand phones in 2010 and in 2011 3 million farmers would receive advance weather data on their hand phones. In the next five years 50 million farmers would be covered by this information network.