BMC yet to know if cloud seeding will work

The civic body’s cloud seeding plan is getting delayed, as it is yet to receive the feasibility study on the project. The technical report on the feasibility of cloud seeding is to be submitted by an Israel-based company, Merokot.

The civic body’s cloud seeding plan is getting delayed, as it is yet to receive the feasibility study on the project. The technical report on the feasibility of cloud seeding is to be submitted by an Israel-based company, Merokot.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had asked the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and Mekorot, which is an expert in cloud seeding experiments, to provide technical inputs for the project.

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Mekorot has been asked to prepare a report on the cloud conditions and whether the experiment will be successful in such conditions.

The report is expected to come later this week. However, the lengthy process afterwards could delay the entire experiment.

“After we receive the report, we can decide on going ahead with cloud-seeding experiments. Tenders will be issued only then. Once we receive the tenders, the contracts will be awarded. The whole process will take more than a month,” said a senior civic official, on condition of anonymity.

In addition to this, the BMC does not have a special plane for use in cloud seeding, and it will have to be brought to the city from Israel. This could take at least 45 days.

“We will also have to check whether the experiment will work effectively in the month of September or not, because the monsoon would have nearly ended by then,” said an official.

Civic officials, however, are relieved with the increased rainfall last week in the catchment areas of the six lakes that provide water to the city.

“Rainfall has surely increased. Currently, the lakes are 75% full,” said AS Tawadia, deputy hydraulic engineer (planning and control).

However, the civic administration has appealed to citizens of Mumbai to use water sparingly during the upcoming dahi handi festival.

“We appeal to citizens and govinda groups to use water cautiously considering the lack of rain this year and water cuts in the city,” said Sitaram Kunte, municipal commissioner.

BJP unhappy with BMC
A delegation of BJP members along with Mumbai unit president Raj Purohit met civic chief Sitaram Kunte on Tuesday and expressed discontent over the functioning of the civic body on issues related to water shortage and environment.

“The BMC is clearly not taking enough contingency measures to deal with the water crisis that the city is facing because of deficient rains,” Purohit said.