**Executive Summary**
The Government of India plans to install approximately 200 Agro Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) during 2026 under Mission Mausam Phase-II. This initiative, detailed in a submission to the Lok Sabha on March 18, 2026, aims to strengthen agro-meteorological observations and enhance weather-based advisories for the agriculture sector. The project focuses on filling spatial coverage gaps to supplement the existing national network of 1,008 stations.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Expansion under Mission Mausam Phase-II**
* Installation of approximately 200 new Agro AWS units is scheduled for completion within the year 2026.
* The primary objective is to improve the quality of weather-based advisories specifically for the agriculture sector.
* New installations are prioritized in states such as Uttar Pradesh (36), Bihar (21), and Madhya Pradesh (17) to address specific observational needs.
**Current Observation Network**
* The India Meteorological Department (IMD) currently operates a total of 1,008 AWS units across the country.
* The network is supplemented by real-time data from external agencies, including state governments, the Central Water Commission (CWC), and the energy sector.
* States with the highest existing IMD AWS counts include Kerala (109), Maharashtra (65), and Uttar Pradesh (65).
**Site Selection and Strategy**
* Installation sites are identified based on three criteria: observational requirements, spatial coverage gaps, and technical feasibility.
* There is currently no proposal to install new AWS units alongside existing departmental observatories; the focus remains on expanding the network to new locations.
**Impact Analysis**
**Agriculture Sector / Farmers**
**Impact**
The sector will benefit from more precise agro-meteorological observations and improved weather-based advisories.
**Action Required**
Incorporate enhanced weather data into agricultural planning and decision-making processes.
**India Meteorological Department (IMD)**
**Impact**
The agency will oversee a significantly expanded observation network, increasing its data collection capacity for forecasting.
**Action Required**
Manage the identification of feasible sites and integrate data from 200 new stations into the existing national grid.
**State Governments and Partner Agencies (CWC/Energy Sector)**
**Impact**
These entities remain critical contributors to the national meteorological network through their own operated stations.
**Action Required**
Continue providing real-time observations to the IMD to ensure a comprehensive national meteorological data set.
Key Entities Referenced
Mission Mausam Phase-II: A government initiative under which 200 Automatic Weather Stations (primarily Agro-AWS) are planned for installation across India in 2026.
India Meteorological Department (IMD): The primary agency responsible for operating the national network of 1008 existing Automatic Weather Stations and managing meteorological observations.
Ministry of Earth Sciences: The nodal ministry overseeing the implementation of weather station networks and the submission of related parliamentary information.
Central Water Commission (CWC): A collaborating agency whose real-time observations are utilized by the IMD to supplement the national meteorological observation network.
Ministry of Earth Sciences
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: Automatic Weather
Stations
Posted On: 18 MAR 2026 3:04PM by PIB Delhi
The Government has planned to install around 200 Automatic Weather Stations (AWS), primarily Agro-
AWS, across the country during 2026 under Mission Mausam Phase-II. These stations will strengthen agro-
meteorological observations and improve weather-based advisories for the agriculture sector. The details are
given in Annexure–I.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) currently operates 1008 Automatic Weather Stations (AWSs)
across the country. The details of these observatories are provided in Annexure–II. In addition, IMD also
utilizes real-time observations from several stations operated by other agencies, including State
Governments, the energy sector, and the Central Water Commission (CWC), to supplement its
meteorological observation network.
At present, there is no proposal to install AWS alongside the existing departmental observatories. The
locations for installation of AWS are identified based on observational requirements, spatial coverage gaps,
and technical feasibility, with the objective of strengthening and expanding the meteorological observation
network.
This information was submitted by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences and
Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, in Lok Sabha on 18th of March 2026.
Annexure I
Details of proposed 200 Agro AWS network
S. NO. STATES/UTs Proposed Agro AWS for installation in
2026
1 ANDHRA PRADESH -
2 ARUNACHAL PRADESH 4
3 ASSAM 134 BIHAR 21
5 CHHATTISGARH 14
6 GOA -
7 GUJARAT 2
8 HARYANA 8
9 HIMACHAL PRADESH -
10 JHARKHAND -
11 KARNATAKA 8
12 KERALA 5
13 MADHYA PRADESH 17
14 MAHARASHTRA 11
15 MANIPUR 2
16 MEGHALAYA 2
17 MIZORAM 2
18 NAGALAND 2
19 ODISHA -
20 PUNJAB 4
21 RAJASTHAN 10
22 SIKKIM 2
23 TAMIL NADU 13
24 TELANGANA 9
25 TRIPURA 226 UTTARAKHAND 3
27 UTTAR PRADESH 36
28 WEST BENGAL 8
29 ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR -
30 CHANDIGARH -
31 DADRA AND NAGAR HAVELI -
32 DAMAN AND DIU -
33 DELHI 1
34 JAMMU AND KASHMIR 1
35 LADAKH -
36 LAKSHADWEEP -
37 PUDUCHERRY -
TOTAL 200
Annexure -II
Details of 1008 IMD AWS network
S. NO. STATES/UTs AWS
1 ANDHRA PRADESH 24
2 ARUNACHAL PRADESH 51
3 ASSAM 55
4 BIHAR 35
5 CHHATTISGARH 216 GOA 5
7 GUJARAT 41
8 HARYANA 30
9 HIMACHAL PRADESH 24
10 JHARKHAND 22
11 KARNATAKA 31
12 KERALA 109
13 MADHYA PRADESH 51
14 MAHARASHTRA 65
15 MANIPUR 19
16 MEGHALAYA 11
17 MIZORAM 6
18 NAGALAND 9
19 ODISHA 35
20 PUNJAB 30
21 RAJASTHAN 35
22 SIKKIM 5
23 TAMIL NADU 51
24 TELANGANA 24
25 TRIPURA 11
26 UTTARAKHAND 25
27 UTTAR PRADESH 6528 WEST BENGAL 47
29 ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR 12
30 CHANDIGARH 3
31 DADRA AND NAGAR HAVELI 1
32 DAMAN AND DIU 2
33 DELHI 19
34 JAMMU AND KASHMIR 17
35 LADAKH 12
36 LAKSHADWEEP 2
37 PUDUCHERRY 3
TOTAL 1008
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