IMD, ICAR institutes present rainfed farming datasets at Delhi consultation

Representatives from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), NBSSLUP, BISA-IARI, IWMI, MNCFC and CRIDA presented the datasets they generate and maintain at a national consultation organised by the National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA) on 8 July 2026 at the NASC Complex, PUSA, New Delhi, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said.

The one-day consultation, titled “Quality Data Generation and Dissemination for Efficient Project Planning and Implementation in Rainfed Areas of India,” included two technical sessions. The first focused on data collection and the challenges involved in storage and dissemination, where the research organisations showcased their datasets.

The second session addressed data requirements for project planning and the bottlenecks faced by users in acquiring quality data, with participants from Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar raising their concerns.

Dr. Chandra Shekhar Kumar, CEO of NRAA, said the aim of the consultation was to give research organisations a platform to showcase their expertise and information-sharing capabilities, while allowing state line departments to express their data needs. He said the National Rainfed Area Authority could use such consultations to understand grassroots data needs and help state functionaries access the data required for effective project planning.

The ministry said comprehensive datasets covering rainfall, soils, land use, water resources, crop performance, socio-economic conditions, climate risks and watershed characteristics are needed to help policymakers design location-specific interventions for the development of rainfed areas.