The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Cloud-seeding `yields results'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 01, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Cloud-seeding `yields results'

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JULY 31. Many villages have reported "positive results" of the cloud-seeding operations presently under way in the State.

Rain followed in all the 40 and odd places where the clouds were seeded during the eight days of operations so far except at Dornala in Prakasam district, according to M.G. Gopal, secretary, Rain Shadow Area Development.

Presence of particles

The exercise "caused" rains at some places and "enhanced" it in other areas. He puts the gain, either way, at 15-20 per cent on average.

A preliminary report by the Environment Protection Training & Research Institute on samples of rainwater collected from the villages following seeding operations "confirmed" the presence of silver iodide or calcium chloride, the two materials used for precipitation.

Also, the EPTRI found these substances in the waters within permissible limits, ruling out any pollution to water bodies, he told The Hindu here today.

The artificial rains were such a scientific reality that the US introduced a law regulating cloud-seeding when it was used by greedy farmers to destroy crops of neighbours with untimely rains.

China used it to "move" clouds from one place to another while it was a regular feature in Israel, he said.

10 mm average rainfall

The average rainfall received by most places was around 10 mm and this did not make much qualitative difference as far as the needs were concerned--crops or drinking water.

Devarakonda reported the maximum, 34 mm followed by Kalluru (30 mm). Villages were so happy that they had themselves reported to the authorities when such dry places as Shahbad and Tadipatri received rains immediately after the exercise.

The Secretary did not rule out possibility of the exercise over the depleted reservoirs such as Nagarjunasagar subject to availability of clouds.

Mr. Gopal said a second radar would be installed at Karimnagar for this region.

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