Figure-3: Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) installed by National Collateral Management Services Limited (NCMSL) Harni in Ratnagiri district (Maharashtra) for Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited (AIC) 4.4.4. Weather Insurance - Recommendations: Based on the review of the experience of the three insurance companies, the Working Group makes the following recommendations on weather insurance: (i) Weather insurance should be accorded priority, and, therefore, recommends strengthening and automation of the existing weather station network with at least one Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) in each Block / Circle of the country. In due course, the network has to extend to every Gram Panchayat. State governments should help installation of Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) by different agencies. (ii) Weather insurance be extended the same level of government support as Area Yield Insurance’. (iii)A Weather Insurance Pool be created, to participate in the overall market’s claim experience. Weather data sharing could be also practiced, to minimize costs.
iv) Government to support weather insurance on par with area yield insurance, with a pilot to be launched for selected crops / territories.