BENGALURU: The Karnataka government is going all out to seed pre-monsoon clouds over the state. Commendable, considering the drought in the region, but these efforts are also raising eyebrows.
The state cabinet on Monday gave its nod to spend a whopping Rs 89 crore, for two years, to ensure the clouds precipitate over Karnataka, at a time when the monsoon is just around the corner. But what’s causing concern is the cost involved: a mere Rs 4.80 crore in 2012, as per official tender, has shot up nine times now.
Government Flying Training School flying instructor (rtd) Capt Gopal said, “The rates appear to be highly exaggerated.’’Experts said the expense can be broken up under various heads: Hiring a twin-engine aircraft, preferably a Cessna 340 or Kingair, is about Rs 85,000 (approx) per hour, which works out to Rs 2 crore for 200 hours -- that’s an entire season -- to carry out cloud seeding over Hubballi in North Karnataka and Bengaluru in South Karnataka.
The cost of hiring a radar for the entire season is about Rs 50 lakh, plus material (mainly silver iodide at a higher altitude, and common salt at lower altitudes), while hiring operating personnel is less than Rs 1 crore, as per prevailing rates. The cost of silver iodide and other material ranges between Rs 70 lakh and Rs 90 lakh. The strategy is that once a rain-bearing cloud, spread over an area of about 100 sqkm is detected, it is seeded by a twin-engine aircraft flying over the clouds, spraying silver iodide or common salt.
Usually, as soon as the mixture is sprayed, the cloud yields rain, experts pointed out to TNIE.
Former Chief of IAF Training Command, Air Marshal (rtd) B K Pandey, who was technically involved in the cloud seeding exercise, confirmed it. “Cloud seeding is not necessary now because we are getting rain. The monsoon, though delayed, is approaching.’’
‘Cloud seeding is fine when monsoon is weak, not when it is good and active’
Experts suggest that cloud seeding is fine when the monsoon is weak, not when it is good and active. There’s no denying, though, that a large part of Karnataka is reeling under severe drought.
Cloud seeding consultant Capt Arvind Sharma, who has carried out the exercises in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh for many seasons, said,“Cloud seeding aircraft are rented out for about Rs 1 lakh an hour, but in the contract, the per hour cost of hiring appears to be many many times more!’’
The CAG report for previous years had deemed cloud seeding expenditure high, and set certain guidelines. Sources say that many applicants were clearly overlooked when the recent contract was awarded, though the firm’s tender pricing was considered “unusually steep”. Former Supreme Court judge and former Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde said, “On the face of it, it looks arbitrary. The fact that the contract was given for such highly exaggerated rates, and that too to a firm with political connections, means that it has been given for a collateral reason.’’
CAG had objected
In 2012, then Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai had received CAG objections for a cloud seeding exercise undertaken by his government in 2012. After this, in a rare move, the cost of the cloud seeding operation was de-escalated to Rs 4.80 crore from Rs 7 crore, in confirmation with the CAG guidelines.
Karnataka, no doubt, is reeling under one of its worst droughts, with 156 of the 176 taluks being declared drought-prone, and the government has pressed the distress button and opted for cloud seeding. Whether it provides relief from the drought or not is debatable, but it will definitely make some richer, said a source.
In a note released after Monday’s cabinet meeting, the government said it was giving contracts for two years to avoid procedural delays and also because the monsoon may not yield as much rain as expected. “But how do we know we need this next year?’’ ask experts.