IITM to launch cloud seeding experiment on July 15

As part of a scientific study on enhancement of rainfall in the country,the Ministry of Earth Sciences had allocated Rs 50 crore for the programme,which is part of cloud aerosol interaction and precipitation enhancement experiment (CAIPEX).

According to Kulkarni,the aircrafts for the seeding project will come in from South Africa and Israel. The first phase and phase-I of the second part has been carried out and we are in the second phase of part-II of the project. We should finish it in the rainy months till September,’’he said.

The experiment to create artificial rains through cloud seeding began in 2008. The three-phase process was to be carried out and the final report will be sent by the scientists. The base is in Solapur and parts of Pune and Marathwada will be covered under the rain shadow regions for the process. In the first phase,IITM had studied cloud parameters like temperature,wind,water droplets and aerosol background.

The second phase will include warm cloud seeding through salt and hygroscopic flares and cloud seeding using silver iodide. The third phase will see the study further,measure and analyse the seeding impact. If the first phase requires Rs 15 crore,the scientists do not want to set the amount for the second phase with the bidding yet to be done. Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur,National Aerospace Laboratory-Bangalore,Air Force and Navy will also participate in the project.

What’s cloud seeding

*It is the process of spreading either dry ice,or more commonly,silver iodide aerosols,into clouds to stimulate the precipitation process and form rain

*Automatic rain gauges will measure the rainfall and samples will be collected from the seeded and non-seeded clouds to compare the impact