Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 25 : The Karnataka government has fast-tracked cloud seeding operations to mitigate the prevailing rainfall deficit and avert severe water scarcity across the state.
Addressing a press briefing on Tuesday on the third floor of Vidhana Soudha, Karnataka Water Resources Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy said administrative preparations for the initiative have been completed and key implementation committees are being notified.
"To effectively tackle the prevailing rainfall deficit and preempt severe water scarcity, we have decided to take up cloud seeding on priority," the Minister said.
The Minister said all three specialised committees for the project are being formally constituted today. Over the next two to three days, the panels will conduct initial technical assessments, after which cloud seeding operations and field evaluation will officially commence.
Two high-level preparatory meetings have already taken place, and specific operational directives have been issued to department secretaries, he said.
A three-tier framework has been created for the mission, which includes the Monitoring Committee, Technical Committee, and Field Operation & Evaluation Committee.
Monitoring Committee: Headed by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of Water Resources to oversee policy execution, inter-departmental coordination and overall governance.
Technical Committee: Comprising premier domain scientists and experts from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to monitor meteorological parameters and radar tracking.
Field Operation & Evaluation Committee: Tasked with managing daily flight sorties, dispersal protocols and ground-level rainfall impact assessments.
Karnataka has previously undertaken cloud seeding on three separate occasions, recording an average success rate between 18% and 20%, the Minister informed.
"Achieving a projected 30% success rate in the current campaign will establish the overall viability and success of the project," he said.
Though patchy rainfall has been recorded in parts of the state, weather forecasts indicate a lack of sustained, continuous monsoon activity, necessitating artificial precipitation measures to avert a water crisis, he added.
Cloud seeding will be executed across all four revenue divisions of the state. Seeding flights are designed to induce precipitation within an estimated 15 km radius of the targeted seed area. Operations are contingent upon the presence of suitable convective moisture clouds, and flights will be dynamically routed based on real-time cloud density and atmospheric conditions.
The operation is planned across a 60-day window totalling approximately 200 flying hours. Sorties will operate daily from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The total budget allocation is estimated at Rs 27 crore.
"September offers the dense cloud cover required for seeding, whereas cloud volume drops significantly by October, making current atmospheric conditions the most optimal window," Chaluvarayaswamy said.
Reiterating the government's commitment, the Minister said that regardless of the financial cost to the exchequer, the state government prioritises securing uninterrupted drinking water supply for citizens and livestock. The initiative will help recharge local lakes, ponds and minor water bodies while supporting dryland agriculture ahead of the upcoming summer season.