Karnataka To Begin Cloud Seeding in Two Days Amid Rainfall Deficit

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has stepped up preparations for cloud seeding to address the rainfall deficit in the state, with plans to constitute three committees for the project, Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy said on Tuesday.

Indicating that the government plans to commence cloud-seeding operations within the next two days, he said two meetings had already been held in this regard and necessary instructions issued to department secretaries.

An estimated Rs 27 crore has been allocated for the project.

"Three committees-a monitoring committee, a technical committee, and a field operations and evaluation committee-will be constituted. The department's additional chief secretary will oversee the monitoring committee, while experts from IIT, IISc and the meteorological department will serve on the technical committee," the state water resources minister said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said the committees were expected to be constituted by Tuesday evening and that the government would try to commence cloud-seeding operations within the next two days.

"Cloud seeding has been undertaken three times in the state so far, with a success rate of 18 to 20 per cent. If we achieve a success rate of 30 per cent, the entire project will be worthwhile," he added.

Noting that the rainfall deficit could lead to water shortages in the coming months, the minister said reports indicated that even if rain occurs, it may not be continuous.

"Hence, we are trying to address the situation through cloud seeding. It is the government's responsibility to meet people's expectations of rainfall, and preparations are being made to effectively face the coming summer," he said.

Cloud-seeding operations will be undertaken by the Water Resources Department across the state's four revenue divisions. Rainfall is expected within a 15-km radius of the areas where cloud seeding is carried out, he said.

"Seeding is possible only when suitable clouds are available. Therefore, the operation will be undertaken across the state depending on cloud availability," he said.

The project is estimated to cost around Rs 27 crore and will be carried out for 60 days, involving approximately 200 hours of operations. Flights will operate between 8 am and 6 pm every day, he added.

Dense clouds are expected to be more frequent in September, while their intensity is likely to decline in October. "Therefore, the present period is most suitable for cloud seeding," Chaluvarayaswamy said.

He said the government was prepared to bear the financial burden, as ensuring drinking water for people and livestock remained its priority.

"Precautionary measures are being taken so that there is no difficulty during summer. Steps are being taken to fill lakes and ponds and support agriculture in dryland areas," he added.

Cloud seeding is a weather-modification technique used to influence precipitation by dispersing substances into clouds, intending to increase rainfall or snowfall, reduce hail or disperse fog.