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.
