Bengaluru, Aug 25 (IANS) The Karnataka government is stepping up preparations for cloud seeding to address the rainfall deficit, with the Water Resources Department likely to launch operations within the next two days, Water Resources Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy said on Tuesday.
The government will constitute three committees by Tuesday evening to oversee, technically guide and evaluate the programme.
Addressing a press conference at Vidhana Soudha, Cheluvarayaswamy said two meetings had already been held, and department secretaries were instructed to expedite the process.
“The Monitoring Committee, Technical Committee and Field Operations and Evaluation Committee will be constituted. The Additional Chief Secretary of the department will oversee the Monitoring Committee, while experts from IIT, IISc and the India Meteorological Department will be part of the Technical Committee,” he said.
Cheluvarayaswamy said cloud seeding had been undertaken three times in Karnataka earlier, with a success rate of around 18 to 20 per cent.
“If we achieve a success rate of 30 per cent, the entire programme will be worthwhile,” he said.
He warned that the rainfall deficit could lead to water scarcity in the coming months and cited forecasts that rainfall, even if received, may not be continuous.
“People expect the government to bring relief from the rainfall deficit. It is the government’s responsibility to meet these expectations. We are also preparing to effectively face the coming summer,” he said.
Cloud seeding will be carried out through the Water Resources Department across the state’s four revenue divisions. “Rainfall is expected within a 15‑km radius of the area where cloud seeding is carried out. However, the operation can be undertaken only when suitable clouds are available. Therefore, the operations will be conducted based on cloud availability across the state,” he said.
The programme is estimated to cost around Rs 27 crore and will be conducted for 60 days, covering approximately 200 flying hours. Operations will be carried out daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cheluvarayaswamy said September was expected to see a higher presence of dense clouds, while cloud cover could decline in October, making the current period suitable for operations.
He said the government was prepared to bear the financial burden of the programme, as ensuring drinking water for people and livestock remained its priority.
“Precautionary measures are being taken to avoid difficulties during summer. Steps are also being taken to fill lakes and ponds and support cultivation in dryland areas,” he said.
MLA Prakash Koliwad and officials from the India Meteorological Department and Water Resources Department attended the meeting.
–IANS
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