The Times of India   28.08.2012

BMC mulls cloud seeding through alternative process

The high cost of plane sorties and need for multiple clearances from Central and state agencies seem to have prompted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to consider undertaking cloud seeding using an alternative process.

In conventional cloud seeding, plane sorties are carried out to spread either dry ice or more commonly silver iodide aerosols into the upper part of clouds to try and stimulate the precipitation process and form rain.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Aseem Gupta said, “The alternative method is less expensive and can be done by engineers from the BMC instead of approaching outside agencies for the same.” It is not just cost escalation, but the lack of clarity on the success of the cloud seeding experiment which is making the civic administration think twice about using an aircraft for cloud seeding.

“We are in two minds about conducting the cloud seeding by an aircraft as the method is not only expensive but there is no way to understand whether the experiment will be a success or not. One needs to at least have a method where we can establish that the cloud seeding experiment has resulted in a certain amount of rainfall. We will further discuss about the modalities of the method with experts from Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and take the final decision,” said Gupta.

Meanwhile, the civic administration is also planning to grant the project of cloud seeding using aircraft to another agency instead of the Israel’s national water company, Mekorot, which is helping it conduct the project.

 “We are planning to approach the Karnataka government which already invited tenders from private companies to conduct a cloud seeding experiment in their state. We can use the same company which they have appointed for conducting the cloud seeding experiment,” said Gupta.

A proposal for cloud seeding was made in July this year by the Karnataka Chief Minister. A technical feasibility report from the IITM has been sought and a budgetary allocation of Rs 5 crore for a pilot project has been made by the Karnataka government. The tender would be floated by the state irrigation department as the Zilla Parishad does not have the expertise for such initiatives, said a senior Karnatka government official.

The Times of India    28.08.2012

MANGALORE: The Mangalore City Corporation warmed up to the idea of implementing 24x7 water supply scheme on its own with maintenance rights vested in private players at the monthly meeting of its council on Monday. The civic body will retain sole rights over water tariff fixation on lines with similar successful initiative taken in Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation where the project was rolled out on a pilot basis with World Bank assistance.This issue has been hanging fire for nearly two years over fears that inviting private players to implement the scheme would bring about an inevitable hike in water tariffs, which would be a politically unpopular move with elections to civic body round the corner.

While the ruling BJP and main opposition Congress were for the scheme, independent corporator Mariamma Thomas wanted greater clarity on how the scheme would be implemented.It was an initiative by commissioner K Harish Kumar to convince the corporators that the state government is keen to see the scheme announced in this year's state budget get off the ground with due approval from the council that brought the corporators on board, albeit with sense of reservation. Mariamma Thomas was blunt in saying that a similar enthusiasm to implement KUDCEM project with ADB assistance had brought nothing but grief to the city.It was wording of the agenda on the issue which irked members most for it created more confusion about the scheme rather than clarify it.

Harish Kumar while agreeing to this lapse informed members that the old modalities that was in vogue and which had erroneously crept into the day's meeting agenda no longer holds good and the city corporation will invest in the scheme with its internal resources and also obtain financial assistance from banks.Premanand Shetty, chief whip who presented the agenda too echoed this view. The bottom line of the arrangement will be the fact that the civic body would determine the water tariff and private players would only focus on the maintenance, he said. Incidentally, minister for urban development S Suresh Kumar had reiterated this very fact of civic bodies determining tariffs when he held an interaction meeting with the corporators on Saturday.