Cloud seeding feasible: israeli firm report

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday said it has received a technical report from Israeli firm, Mekorot, stating that cloud seeding over the lake catchment areas is feasible.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday said it has received a technical report from Israeli firm, Mekorot, stating that cloud seeding over the lake catchment areas is feasible.

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Owing to poor rainfall, the BMC had approached the firm to carry out cloud seeding, which is a process by which rain is induced through the spraying of silver iodide crystals into rain clouds to stimulate the precipitation process.

Rajiv Jalota, additional municipal commissioner (projects), said: "The report has been sent to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), which has the competence to determine if the experiment will be favourable considering the atmospheric conditions near the lakes."

The IITM report is expected in a couple of days. With the catchment areas receiving steady rainfall since the past few days, officials said the final decision would be taken after deliberation. "The project cost is yet to be sought from Mekorot, after which we will take the final call," said Jalota. The BMC has tentatively decided to do cloud seeding at Bhatsa, Upper Vaitarna and Tansa. A similar process had failed to yield results in 2009.

"We need to decide if the amount of rainfall the report states can be induced will be sufficient," said Ramesh Bhambale, chief hydraulic engineer.