SIALKOT, July 26: The federal government has finally upgraded the Quantitative Precipitation Measurement (QPM) radar station after 28 years of its establishment and it has become operational with a total cost of Rs70 million.

Earlier, the station remained out of order for the last three consecutive years.

Official sources said the then federal government had established the radar station in 1978.

The sources said the QPM station had been equipped with ultra modern technology, which could monitor weather and rain situation in the radius of 460km, including the catchment areas in neighbouring occupied Jammu and Kashmir. However, it would focus only on 260km radius. They said the upgraded Sialkot Met radar station had also been linked with the Lahore Met radar station.

SUPPORT CENTRE: The Punjab government has approved establishment of an `industrial auto and agricultural support centre’ at Daska and allocated a special grant of Rs100 million to this effect.

Punjab Small Industries Corporation (PSIC) mechanical engineer Hassan Iqbal said this while talking to farm machinery manufacturers at Daska on Wednesday.

He said the purpose of the centre was to modernise the manufacturing of farm machinery to meet global challenges of WTO, besides providing advanced technical assistance, latest agricultural research and necessary guidance to manufacturers.

Earlier, he said, the Punjab government had also approved establishment of a `technical common facilitation centre’ at Daska’s Small Industrial Estate with a total cost of Rs280 million and work on the project was briskly under way. — Correspondent