Thane collector asked to check sites for 2nd doppler

Thane: The state revenue department has asked Thane collector P Velarasu to suggest sites in the city as well as Navi Mumbai where the second doppler weather radar can be installed. The collector had received these instructions three days ago.
Manoj Gohad, deputy collector of Thane, said, ‘‘The collectorate is now scouting for various locations and hopes to soon identify a height suitable for the radar.’’ The government is also looking at other locations in Nashik and Pune to install the radar.
The decision to install a second radar was taken after a group of Mumbai-based developers had filed a petition recently, claiming that the existing doppler, which was installed on top of a building in Colaba after the 2005 deluge, has been hampering development projects. They said that since the existing buildings cannot go for redevelopment as their height cannot be increased. Any highrise project coming up within a 10km radius has to obtain a no-objection certificate from the Indian Meteorology Department (IMD). ‘‘Mumbai already had buildings taller than 70m, so the doppler radar was not effective. Now, since the IMD has decided to install another radar, the height restrictions problem will be solved,’’ said a revenue department official.
The new radar is expected to cost around Rs 35 crore. ‘‘Though the government had suggested many other alternate sites, we told them that they were not feasible. We will not be able to shift the existing radar. It is enormous (around 15 tons), so shifting may shut it down," said the IMD official.