21 May,2026 06:19 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
CM Fadnavis said the state government is preparing to support farmers by using technology-based solutions during the monsoon season. File Pic
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said the state may witness a rainfall deficit of around 12 per cent this monsoon season due to the impact of El Nino conditions.
Addressing the media in Mumbai, Fadnavis said the shortage in rainfall would not be uniform across Maharashtra, with some regions likely to receive better rainfall than others.
The chief minister said the state government is preparing to support farmers by using technology-based solutions during the monsoon season.
CM Fadnavis stated that farmers will be provided with region-wise rainfall information through mobile applications and artificial intelligence-based systems.
He said the technology will help farmers understand the expected quantum of rainfall in their respective areas and make better agricultural decisions.
Maharashtra State Disaster Management Authority has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology to strengthen the state's disaster preparedness and response systems during extreme weather events.
The agreement marks a major step in improving Maharashtra's ability to deal with floods, heatwaves, thunderstorms and other weather-related emergencies.
Officials said Maharashtra has become the first state in India to integrate the Bharat Forecast System (BharatFS) into its disaster management framework.
BharatFS is an advanced indigenous weather forecasting model developed under the India Meteorological Department's Mission Mausam programme.
The forecasting system has now been integrated into the State Emergency Operations Centre's Geospatial Decision Support System (GeoDSS) to improve real-time decision-making during disasters.
According to officials, BharatFS can generate high-resolution weather forecasts for areas as small as 6 km by 6 km.
This will allow weather predictions at gram panchayat and sub-taluka levels, a major improvement over earlier district-level forecasts.
The officials said that this will help local administrations take faster and more targeted preparedness measures during heatwaves and the upcoming monsoon season.
The system will provide updated weather information every three hours, including rainfall, temperature, wind speed, wind direction, atmospheric pressure and cloud cover.
Officials said the integration will also support:
- Early warning systems for floods, landslides and thunderstorms
- Impact-based forecasting and risk analysis
- Automated weather alerts
- Faster coordination between departments
- Last-mile delivery of warnings through mobile alerts, sirens and public broadcasts
- Government Highlights Importance of Initiative
Maharashtra Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan said the initiative would improve local-level preparedness and strengthen coordinated responses during extreme weather conditions.
Principal Secretary Vinita Vaid Singal said the integration of BharatFS with Maharashtra's GeoDSS platform would improve situational awareness and support quicker decision-making at state and district levels.
State Disaster Management Authority Director Dr Bhalchandra P Chavan said the collaboration would help bring scientific weather information directly to local administrators and citizens.
