The Indian Express 16.08.2012
BMC to take a call on cloud seeding by Sept
To go ahead only if water in lakes fails to touch 12 lakh million litre-mark
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to
conduct a ‘cloud seeding’ exercise in the city and its suburbs only if
the total availability of water in the lakes supplying water to the city
fail to reach 12 lakh million litres by the first week of September.
The maximum capacity of the six lakes is about 13.5 lakh million litres.
Cloud seeding is a process by which rain is induced through spraying of silver iodide crystals to stimulate precipitation.So far, conflicting signals have emanated from the BMC with
officials not giving a clear picture if cloud seeding would be required
to induce artificial rain in catchment areas of the lakes.
Additional municipal commissioner Rajiv Jalota said that a stock
of 12 lakh million litres is considered comfortable to last till the
next monsoon.“The availability of water as on August 14 is 8,18,589 million
litres compared with 9,65,975 million litres on the same day last year.
We will observe the intensity and pattern of rainfall during the
remaining days of August. If the total availability by September is not
close to 12 lakh million litres, then we will have to go ahead with
cloud seeding,” said Jalota.
Meanwhile, the final feasibility report submitted to the civic
body by the Israeli firm Mekorot was sent back by the BMC as it lacked
proper financial detailing. “The technical aspect seemed satisfactory,
but the financial aspect seemed incomplete since they had not included
the cost of the plane required to carry out cloud seeding. Once they
re-submit the report, it will be sent to the Indian Institute of
Tropical Meteorology in Pune for their go ahead,” said hydraulic
engineer Ramesh Bambale.
On August 9, Municipal Commissioner Sitaram Kunte said that as per the
current monsoon scenario, there was no need to carry out cloud seeding
as of now. Despite the failure of the cloud seeding experiment in 2009,
the BMC was forced to consider the exercise following pressure from
corporators. Bangalore-based Agni Aviation had carried out the exercise
in 2009 charging Rs 8 crore, but it failed to yield the desired results.
