BMC opens tender for cloud-seeding project, gets 2 bids

“We will scrutinize the bids in the next two days and prepare a draft proposal which will then be sent to the standing committee of the civic body for final approval. The nature of the project is such that it can be undertaken only by experts with adequate experience,” said a senior civic official from the hydraulic department of the BMC.

If approved, the corporation will have to foot a bill of over Rs 15 crore to carry out the cloud-seeding procedure. Cloud seeding is a process by which rain is induced by spraying hydroscopic particles into rain clouds to stimulate the precipitation process.

The civic body had also written to the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Pune, for technical advice to adopt cloud seeding technology. Bangalore-based Agni Aviation carried out the exercise in 2009 for Rs 8 crore, but failed to yield results.

As of July 14, the usable water content in the six major lakes supplying water to the city – Modak Sagar, Tansa, Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna, Bhatsa, Tansa, Vihar and Tulsi – stands at 99,517 million litres, as opposed to 835,285 million litres recorded the same day in the year 2013.

The civic body, on July 3, imposed a 20 per cent water cut and further targeted commercial users like garages and swimming pools to save water. “We are hoping that the city should receive adequate rainfall in the months of July and August, but we are taking every step possible to prevent water scarcity,” said additional municipal commissioner Rajiv Jalota, in-charge of the water department. “This includes the cloud-seeding project, save water campaign programme and also a clean-up drive of all the existing wells in the city,” he added.

tanushree.venkatraman@expressindia.com