The Indian Express 04.04.2013
Fearing worst, BMC to fall back on ‘failed’ cloud seeding
The drought situation in the state threatening to sap up whatever
water is available this summer, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
(BMC) is getting ready to be prepared for the worst, in case monsoon is
delayed, by employing ‘cloud seeding’ technology, which was incidentally
considered a failed endeavour earlier.
The civic administration has been continuously sending cloud
observation and other scientific data to the Pune-based Indian Institute
of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) to prepare a feasibility report for
another cloud seeding experiment in Mumbai.
“We are continuously interacting with IITM officials and sending
them regular data for a feasibility study to conduct a cloud seeding
experiment in Mumbai.
In case monsoon is delayed we want to be prepared for artificial rain,” said R Bamble, Chief Hydraulic Engineer of BMC.
After the experiment failed to click earlier, the BMC had decided
to conduct the experiment regularly during monsoon. However, officials
now claim the experiment will be conducted only if there is a dire need.
The controversial cloud seeding proposal of the civic
administration, which was expected to augment rainfall in monsoon last
year was scrapped after most of the lakes supplying water to the city
started to fill up. The proposal had come under flak as the cost had
shot up from Rs 12 crore to Rs 24 crore.
After Israel’s national water company, Mekorot, which was roped
in to conduct the experiment refused to supply aircraft needed for cloud
seeding, the civic body had decided to rent one from a South African
company. Amid ballooning costs, confusion and lack of clarity over the
success of the procedure, the BMC had delayed the procedure for over two
months.
A similar experiment in 2009 had failed to augment water in Tansa and
Modak Sagar lakes, where a Rs 8-crore experiment was conducted.
