Forecast of a normal monsoon notwithstanding, the drought affected southern States such as Karnataka and Kerala are gearing to take up the seeding of moisture-laden clouds to generate badly needed rains.

While Karnataka is now facing its fourth consecutive drought, neighbouring Kerala is witnessing it for the third time in a row.

Karnataka Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said he has prepared a detailed project report and expects to come out with a global tender soon to carry out the cloud seeding exercise. “The forecast of a normal monsoon is good news, but we don’t want to take any chance,” he said.

Not too predictable

Earlier this week, the Indian Meterological Department (IMD) forecast a normal monsoon for 2017 with the total precipitation across the country expected to be 96 per cent of the long period average of 89 cm over the four-month season starting June. However, statistics show that, since 1990, IMD forecasts have failed at least five times — spectacularly in 2002 and 2004. Cloud seeding is a kind of weather modification procedure that attempts to enhance the amount of precipitation from the clouds to generate more rains.

“We expect to float the global tender within a month to carry out the cloud seeding some time during July-August. A draft bid document is being prepared and the State has hired former officials of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meterology (IITM) as consultants,” Byre Gowda added. Karnataka, which has declared 160 of the 176 taluks in the State as drought affected, has made a provision of ₹30 crore in its Budget for 2017-18 to carry out the cloud seeding exercise in drought affected areas.

Similarly, in Kerala, where the reservoir levels are seeking new lows, the State government is preparing to explore cloud seeding. Sources said documents are being readied to float global bids seeking the services of professional players to ensure flawless execution of what they describe as an “elaborate and costly exercise”.

The government has roped in the services of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to train its radars to track down rain-bearing clouds as they home in over targeted locales, generally reservoirs. The data collected will be analysed by the IITM in Pune. Rockets will be fired to feed the selected bank of clouds with chemicals that precipitate the rain.

The ISRO has an array of rockets with a range of 4-5 km which send their flares into the clouds from an aircraft that flies within close proximity.

Kerala had proposed to try cloud seeding two years ago but had “happily given up” the idea after heavy rains had intervened. Responding to a question, the sources said the process involves “catalysing the process of vapourisation” in the clouds. It is not known to create environmental concerns, they added.

Related Topics