Patil asks govt to use cloud seeding

Congress leader and former water resources minister H K Patil asked the State government to consider investing in cloud seeding (artificially inducing rainfall) in the Cauvery basin in the wake of the drought.

Patil believes sufficient rain even during October and purchasing fodder machines can help grow grass in just one week, boosting the prospects of cattle owners.

Patil recalled that during his stint as water resources minister in 2003, when Karnataka was facing a severe drought, cloud seeding was taken up for 83 days in 10 districts. It cost the exchequer Rs 10 crore.

It was a big success, he said, speaking at a press conference with fellow Congressman B K Chandrashekar on Sunday in Bangalore.

Currently, 146 of Karnataka’s 173 taluks are facing severe drought. Rabi crops, sown later in the season, are likely to fail if the drought continues.

The government must make best use of the technology to find a solution to the problem, said Patil. To overcome the fodder shortage, the government must purchase oxygen-based fodder growing machines, he said.

Growing grass naturally usually takes 60 days, but machines can produce grass in just seven days. The Krishi Vignana Kendra of Hulikote has a grass growing machine. If the government spends a few crores of rupees, it can purchase the machines for farmers, Patil said.