Five automatic weather stations set up in Goa's wildlife sanctuaries

Panaji: Automatic weather stations (AWS) have been set up in five wildlife sanctuaries in Goa to study and ascertain the impact of climate change on biodiversity of the Western Ghats forest, state minister Vishwajit Rane has said.

Forest Minister Rane on Monday inaugurated these AWS, one each set up in Mhadei, Mollem, Bondla, Netravali and Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuaries, during a function held at Valpoi in Sattari taluka of North Goa.

“Goa is the first state in the country to place such an elaborate modern AWS for scientific management of forest and to study and ascertain impact of climate change on Biodiversity of Western Ghats Forest,” he said in a post on X.

The weather stations have been installed with the technical support of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Rane said.

“These stations will record atmospheric data including - Air Temperature, Barometric Pressure, Humidity, Wind Speed and Direction, Soil Moisture, Soil Temperature and Rainfall on real time basis at 15 minute interval and transmit to a web portal with the help of a satellite,” he added.