Did the Maha Cabinet Approve the Construction of Weather Stations in Villages and Extend the Mahavedh Project by Five Years?

Mumbai, June 17 (NationPress) The Maharashtra Cabinet has officially sanctioned the establishment of Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) as part of the central government's WINDS (Weather Information Network Data System) initiative at the gram panchayat level and has also prolonged the Mahavedh project for an additional five years.

“This initiative is crucial for delivering precise weather data to all villages across the state, enabling farmers to receive weather-based agricultural guidance. Each AWS will gather critical weather metrics such as temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, wind speed, and direction. This data will be instrumental for the Relief and Rehabilitation Department's POKRA Project, the Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre (MRSAC), Sarva Krishi Vidyapeeth, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, and various research institutions,” stated the government release.

As per the announcement, this data will also facilitate benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and the Weather Based Fruit Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS). Skymet Weather Services Pvt Ltd has been designated as the service provider for executing this initiative.

While AWSs have already been installed at the revenue division level under the Mahavedh project, establishing them at the Gram Panchayat level will enable farmers to access meteorological data related to natural disasters such as drought, fire, flood, hailstorms, cloudbursts, cold waves, and extreme cold. The Agriculture Department will serve as the nodal department for Mahavedh.

In addition, the Cabinet has approved the launch of the VISTAAR initiative aimed at enhancing agricultural extension services to be more effective and farmer-centric. This program will offer personalized advice in Marathi utilizing generative AI and cutting-edge technologies. Through this initiative, artificial intelligence-based chatbots and voice assistants will be employed to communicate in Marathi.

Farmers will benefit from information regarding crop production, pest and disease management, weather forecasts, market prices, and government schemes. Simulation tools beneficial for farmers will be developed as part of this initiative, which will also interface with national platforms like Agristack and Bhashini. Training will be provided to field extension workers on artificial intelligence usage.

A state-wide Traceability and Quality Certification platform based on AI, Blockchain, and QR-code technology will be initiated to ensure food security, transparency in supply chains, food quality assurance, and global market access for agricultural products. This platform will create a digital, geo-tagged record of fertilizers and pesticides applied to crops, farming practices, post-harvest processing, and quality certification throughout the journey from farm to consumer,” confirmed the government release.

Initially, this will target select exportable crops and will gradually expand to include other crops. Farmer Producer Organizations, exporters, pack houses, quality certification agencies, logistics, and e-commerce platforms will be integrated into this system. This will encompass IoT and mobile-based traceability, verification of certified claims through artificial intelligence, QR code generation, and compliance with international standards (APEDA, Codex, EU Farm-to-Fork). This platform aims to secure better prices for farmers, boost reliability in exports, and enhance acceptance in both local and global markets. Training on AI/ML and agricultural technology will be provided in State Agricultural Universities, Technical Institutes, and research partners.

Special AI training toolkits will be developed for officials within the agriculture department. Hands-on training, digital tools, and support desks will be accessible for farmers and farmer producer organizations regarding the use of AI.

The quality and relevance of training will be improved by collaborating with technology institutions and the industry sector. Feedback from farmers will be solicited periodically to ensure the training and application of AI meet local needs effectively.