Business · India Bureau
Karnataka launches ₹27-crore cloud-seeding programme to boost rainfall
The state government has announced a major cloud-seeding initiative designed to enhance precipitation across drought-prone regions. The two-month operation will involve 200 flying hours as part of efforts to mitigate water scarcity.
LSN India ·
Karnataka is set to roll out an ambitious cloud-seeding programme with an outlay of ₹27 crore within the coming days, marking a significant push to increase rainfall in water-stressed areas of the state. The initiative comes as the region grapples with persistent dry conditions affecting agriculture and water availability.
The project will span 60 days and entail 200 flying hours, utilizing aircraft equipped with cloud-seeding technology to stimulate precipitation in targeted zones. Officials have indicated that the programme represents a substantial investment in addressing rainfall deficits through scientific weather modification techniques.
Cloud-seeding operations involve dispersing substances such as silver iodide into clouds to encourage water droplet formation and precipitation. The Karnataka government has positioned the initiative as a critical intervention to supplement natural rainfall and alleviate drought conditions across the state.
The timing of the programme underscores growing concerns about seasonal rainfall patterns and their impact on agriculture, drinking water supplies, and reservoir levels. State authorities have indicated that the cloud-seeding effort will be executed in coordination with meteorological agencies to identify optimal conditions for deployment.