PANJIM, Dec 15
It’s official now! Goa will not install China-made radar at the Met Department’s facility at Altinho in Panjim and instead will wait for indigenously made radar.
Indian Metrological Observatory, Goa in-charge K V Singh said that China-made radar which is lying with them will not be installed although building for the same is almost completed.
“The indigenously made radar will be sent for Goa and procedure for the same is on,” he said refusing to elaborate on the reason behind shuttling out China radar.
He said that the building work for the installation of radar is nearing completion. “The top floor of the building is completed. Internal and other developmental works are pending,” Singh said.
The China made radar was sent to Goa this year and was expected to be installed before the monsoon season.
Sources stated that Union Defence Ministry’s concerns about installing China-made radar on the coastal stations had forced Goa to drop its plan.
“There are apprehensions that China has installed some chip in the radar, which can send all the information from the coast to the parent country”, he said.
Singh said that new radar would be in place before next monsoons.
The IMD-Mumbai had bought 12 Doppler weather radars in May, 2009 from Beijing Metstar Radar Cooperative Ltd, or Metstar, which were to be
installed at places like Mumbai, Delhi, Agartala, Mohanbari, Paradip,
Bhopal, Nagpur, Patna, Lucknow, Karaikal, Patiala and Goa.
The officials now claim that Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) made radar would be installed at the Goa facility. But the exact date for the new equipment is not fixed.
Sources also disclosed that the radar at Mumbai, also a China-made one, was shifted to Delhi and BEL radar was being installed there.
