IITM Pune Installs Advanced Rainfall Sensor at Itanagar’s Donyi Polo Airport to Boost Northeast Weather Research
Reported by Akshata Pawar
Itanagar/Pune, 13th June 2025: In a significant step toward enhancing rainfall research in India’s Northeast, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) Pune has extended its Disdrometer network to the eastern edge of the country. A Joss-Waldvogel Disdrometer, a high-precision instrument for measuring raindrop size and distribution, has been installed at Donyi Polo Airport in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh.
Union Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju personally reviewed the new installation site alongside Dr. Kaustav Chakravarty from IITM and officials from the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The expansion is expected to play a crucial role in understanding and forecasting the region’s complex monsoon and rainfall patterns, which are vital for disaster management, agriculture, and climate modeling.
This deployment marks a pivotal move in strengthening scientific infrastructure in the Northeast and underscores the government’s commitment to advancing meteorological research in remote and sensitive areas.
