IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra wins UN Sasakawa Award for disaster risk reduction

Bhubaneswar: Director General of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, has received the prestigious United Nations Sasakawa Award-2025 for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Mohapatra, known as India’s “cyclone man,” hails from Odisha.

The official X handle of the IMD announced the news Friday.

“Congratulations India!! A proud moment for the nation!! Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general of meteorology, India Meteorological Department, has received the prestigious United Nations Sasakawa Award 2025 for Disaster Risk Reduction! A huge step forward in global disaster risk reduction efforts!” the post read.

Also Read: Odisha weather: Yellow Warning issued for next five days as hot, humid conditions persist

Born August 12, 1965, in Rajagurupur in Odisha’s Bhadrak district, Mohapatra began his career in 1988 as a junior scientific assistant at the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in Chandipur, after earning an MSc and PhD in physics. From 1990 to 1992, he also served as a physics lecturer at DK College in Balasore district.

He joined the IMD in 1992 as a Meteorologist Grade II trainee in Pune and gradually rose through the ranks. In 2004, he became the director of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Guwahati. In 2019, he was appointed director general of meteorology at IMD headquarters in New Delhi.

Established in 1986, the Sasakawa Award is considered one of the most prestigious honors in the field of disaster risk reduction. This year’s theme — “Connecting science to people: Democratizing access to innovation and technology for disaster-resilient communities” — closely reflects Mohapatra’s long-standing contributions to the field.

PNN