BENGALURU: After a detailed discussion on the drought situation in Karnataka, the state government on Saturday announced the formation of two committees- Monitoring Committee and Technical Advisory and Evaluation Committee for undertaking cloud seeding. The committees are being formed under the chairmanship of Water Resources Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy and will comprise officers from the Water Resources Department, Karnataka State National Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited (KNNL) and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) department.
At the meeting, they also discussed the accorded administrative approval for cloud seeding and the Rs 28.52 crore which has been set aside for the exercise by Kyathi Climate Modification Consultants LLP.
The minister said the monitoring committee, headed by the Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner, will guide and review the meteorological conditions and the progress of cloud seeding. This committee will also ensure coordination among all other departments for the effective implementation of the programme.
The Technical Advisory and Evaluation Committee will advise the government on scientific and technical aspects of cloud seeding. It will recommend suitable areas, cloud selection criteria, methodologies, and operational procedures based on rainfall, drought, reservoir inflow, soil moisture, and meteorological conditions.
It will also examine satellite imagery for relevant meteorological inputs. However, weathermen expressed their concern over the cloud formation for undertaking cloud seeding. Sources in KSNDMC said cloud formation and wind are crucial for cloud seeding, and both are not compatible for the exercise at the moment.