Dr Jitendra inaugurates
Himalayan High Altitude Atmospheric, Climate Research Centre at Mandlote,
Chenani
UDHAMPUR, APRIL 08: Union Minister of State
(Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, Minister of
State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and
Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, Dr. Jitendra
Singh, today inaugurated the Himalayan High Altitude Atmospheric and Climate
Research Centre and flagged off the Indo-Swiss Joint Research Project titled
ICE-Crunch at Village Mandlote, Chenani in Udhampur district.
The Indo-Swiss project, in collaboration with ETH
Zurich, Switzerland, focuses on study of ice-nucleating particles and cloud
condensation nuclei properties in the north-western Himalayas.
The event was
attended by Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs,
Information Technology, Science and Technology,
Satish Sharma, DDC Chairperson
Udhampur, Lal Chand, Member Legislative Assembly Chenani, Balwant Singh
Mankotia, Secretary, Ministry for Earth Sciences GoI, Dr. M. Ravichandran, Vice Chancellor of Central University Jammu,
Professor Sanjeev Jain, Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, Saloni Rai, Deputy
Commissioner Ramban, Baseer-Ul-Haq Chaudhary, Centre Incharge, Dr. Shweta
Yadav, Registrar of Central University
Jammu, Professor Yashwant Singh and other senior officers besides PRI members
and locals.
While addressing a massive gathering, the Union
Minister congratulated the people and expressed pride in establishment of the
climate research centre in Chenani. He stated that the centre would focus on
advanced research related to climate patterns including rainfall and cloudburst
predictions, which are crucial for the Himalayan region.
Highlighting India’s scientific advancements, Dr.
Singh said that prior to 2014, India was seen as a fragile economy, but today
under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has emerged among
the top five global economies. To realize the dream of a Viksit Bharat by 2047,
he emphasized the importance of value addition from previously unexplored
areas, particularly hilly regions like Jammu & Kashmir.
He added that India is leading global initiatives on
climate concerns and has made remarkable improvements in weather forecasting,
attributing this progress to the reforms brought under the Modi Government. Dr.
Singh highlighted that in the early days of Modi 3.0, the government has
already taken over 100 crucial decisions across diverse sectors, including
preventive healthcare, space research and medical advancements.
Referring to Udhampur’s development, the Union
Minister said that the district has emerged as a model in the country. In the
past five years, Udhampur has consistently ranked among the top three in PMGSY
road construction. He also mentioned key achievements like the Devika
Rejuvenation Project, extension of the Purple Revolution to Latti and adjoining
areas, GI tagging of Udhampur Kalari, establishment of an industrial estate and
stoppage of the Vande Bharat Express at Udhampur.
Dr. Singh reiterated the government’s commitment
towards improving the citizens' quality of life through better service delivery
and infrastructure. He emphasized that effective governance must focus on
minimizing the public inconvenience.
Speaking on the occasion, Satish Sharma thanked the
Union Minister for gifting such a landmark project to the region. He lauded the
Central University and its team for their collaboration in the Indo-Swiss
initiative, stating that this project would not only benefit India but also
serve the global scientific communities. He recalled the devastating impacts of
landslides and cloudbursts in the past and described the research centre as a
significant step towards mitigating such disasters through scientific
preparedness.
MLA Chenani, Balwant Singh Mankotia, also extended his
gratitude to the Modi Government and Dr. Jitendra Singh for sanctioning
multiple vital projects in the region. He raised several public issues and
urged for their early redressal.