BENGALURU: Even as the Karnataka government has formed two committees to take up cloud seeding in parts of the state in view of the drought situation, weathermen said the exercise is futile as conditions are not favourable.
Weather experts have cautioned the state government during the last couple of meetings, including one held on Monday, that conditions are not favourable for undertaking cloud seeding. They have suggested that the state government defer the cloud seeding plan from September 20 to October, when conditions could turn favourable. The Southwest monsoon will continue till October 10, so there is a longer window for cloud seeding, and the government should not rush the exercise, they said.
A senior official from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), who was part of the meeting, said cloud seeding can be done when the right clouds are present. But there are no hovering clouds, and neither is there any conducive forecast in the weeks ahead. The task of tracing clouds also seems futile as there are no systems forming in the oceans for cloud formation.
Officials from the Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, India Meteorological Department, KSNDMC, Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Water Resources Department, retired professionals and experts were present at Monday’s meeting, where the monsoon pattern and drought situation were discussed.
A senior IMD official explained that for cloud seeding, the right density of cumulonimbus and cumulous clouds should be present, but which are absent at the moment. There should also be an off-shore trough and favourable wind pattern, and at least 55-60mm moisture present in the atmosphere between the ground surface and clouds, for cloud seeding to be done.
“There are no thunder clouds or cumulonimbus clouds. They are usually present during the Northeast monsoon, and are ideal for cloud seeding. But if there are sufficient dense clouds, there is no need for cloud seeding. This year, the systems over the Arabian Sea are poor when compared to the Bay of Bengal.
This is the reason why northern parts of India are experiencing good rainfall. The monsoon trough in the Western Ghats region is helping coastal and North Karnataka get rain. But interior Karnataka and south interior Karnataka is experiencing poor rainfall,” the IMD official said.
