Experimental cloud seeding in Bijapur from today
Experimental cloud seeding will commence in the drought-hit Bijapur district on November 4.The cloud seeding is being undertaken by Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and an agricultural consultancy from Bangalore.
The IITM is an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences. To alleviate the stresses generated by water shortages, cloud seeding experiments for rain enhancements have been carried out by state governments of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in recent years. In Bijapur, cloud seeding is being undertaken at the instance of Minister Govind Karjol. The same aircraft which is conducting cloud seeding in Hyderabad will arrive in Bijapur to conduct a similar operation here.
IITM Programme Manager for cloud seeding J R Kulkarni said that cloud seeding will take place in a three-phased manner in the country. In the first phase in 2009, cloud seeding was conducted for 219 hours in Pune, Pathankot, Hyderabad, Bareilly, Bangalore.
He said based on the results of the experiments of the first phase, for the second phase Hyderabad has been chosen as the central place with 250 hours of cloud seeding.
However, the Joint Agricultural Director C Byrappa and Assistant Commissioner Suresh Jirali said that the district administration has no information about cloud seeding in Bijapur. However, District NGO Associations Federation coordinator Peter Alexander said that cloud seeding was welcome for a drought-stricken district like Bijapur.
