India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Navy to hand over Cyclone Detection Radar (CDR) building to naval forces for meteorological purposes.
Dr D Pradhan, Scientist 'G', Additional Director General of Meteorology (Instruments), IMD and Rear Admiral RJ Nadkarni signed the MoU which will enable the Indian Navy to utilise the CDR building within naval premises at Kochi for meteorological purposes.
Indian Navy had requested IMD to hand over the building permanently for meteorological purposes.
The CDR building was constructed during the period 1983-86 inside the Naval Base, having an S-band Cyclone Detection Radar installed by M/s Bharat Electronics Limited, an official release said.
The facility was operated by IMD from 1987-2017 to provide weather support for civil aviation at the old Kochi Airport - presently the Naval Air Station INS Garuda.
"In 2017, IMD commenced operating a new Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) at Mundamveli, Kochi as the S-band radar had become obsolete. The CDR building had been lying vacant and unused since then," said Ministry of Defence in a press statement.
The building is set to be utilised by Indian Naval Meteorological Analysis Centre (INMAC), an operational unit set up in 2013 with the mandate to provide daily meteorological information/ forecasts to users across the Navy such as IN ships and establishments.
( With inputs from ANI )