'Cloud seeding on anvil'

 
Speaking with newsmen here after unfurling the Tricolour at the district stadium on Independence Day, he said irrigation and power generation had been hit as water in reservoirs had not reached the maximum level.

Bommai said it was proposed to take up "Ground-Based Cloud Seeding" as clouds this season seemed to be of low density. Such experiments were taken up in Canada and South America. Such an experiment was also carried out in Vijaynagaram area of Andhra Pradesh. In Karnataka cloud seeding was taken up during 2001-02 by planes but that would be a costly affair, he added.

Steps have already been initiated to carry out research on the subject by the researchers of National Aeronautics Limited (NAL), he said. Experts and researchers from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and NAL would  take a decision on the matter at meet at Bangalore soon. NAL has identified five spots in the catchments of Linganamakki reservoir, besides a few spots in KRS, Kodagu's Bhagamandala and Sakaleshpur areas, he stated. Bommai said under the proposed cloud harvesting, silver iodide aerosols would be shot into the clouds at an altitude of 1.5 km.