Centre asks Pune IITM to prepare cloud-seeding model, guidelines

Maharashtra too did not meet with much success in cloud-seeding last year when it could generate just about 33 mm of rainfall in some parts of Ahmednagar and Beed.

[related-post]

Senior state officials said the experiment last year was not successful due to the absence of moisture-laden clouds as it was carried out at a time when monsoon was on its way out. “This year, however, we hope to start early with the advice of IMD and IITM,” they said.

Weather officials say cloud-seeding helps the most when moisture-laden clouds are available in abundance and the process is carried out by spreading either silver iodide aerosols or dry ice on top of the clouds to initiate rainfall.

Following the MoES advice, the IITM is planning a three-year cloud-seeding project which will commence in 2017. IITM’s Thara Prabhakaran, who is the project director, said the plan was to deploy a C-band radar in the rain shadow region in Solapur.

The IITM will prepare a standardised code for cloud-seeding after the research programme, according to the MoES.