As the State government gets ready to undertake cloud-seeding operations, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, have offered low-cost, indigenous technology to enhance rainfall. On Monday, the State cabinet approved a budget of ?91 crore for cloud seeding for two years. The project, which involves two aircrafts spraying chemicals at moisture-laden clouds to induce rainfall, is expected to start by June-end and would continue for three months through the monsoons.
Currently, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) department, which is overseeing the project, has struggled to get competitive bids. Just two companies had responded to their global tender called in March this year. Both bids rely on importing radars, planes and pilots from a single company in the United States. Subsequently, costs shoot up, while import procedures add to delays, said H.S. Prakash Kumar, chief engineer, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Department.
However, IIT-Kanpur and HAL have written to the department with an offer to demonstrate their cloud seeding.“While we have already completed tender formalities, we have invited them to make a presentation. We hope that in the future, there are more companies, particularly in India, which will lower costs,” said Mr. Kumar, on the sidelines of a two-day, first-ever International Conference on Cloud Seeding here on Thursday.
Indigenous technology The offer is based on salts, which act like dispersing seeding agents, developed indigenously by IIT-Kanpur. Their partner, HAL will provide aircrafts and trained pilots. Manindra Agrawal, deputy director, IIT-Kanpur, said these salts have proven to be more effective in catalysing rainfall.
“We have been testing the salts with our small aircraft in the campus, and out of six trials, five was successful. While we are confident about our salts, we have had limitations in access to aircrafts that can target high-altitude clouds. HAL is willing to provided a Dornier aircraft, and with their pilots, we can get success in cloud seeding at considerably lower costs,” he said.
However, for the next two years, Kyathi Climate Modification Consultants and US-based Weather Modification Incorporated will conduct cloud seeding in the State. Mr. Kumar said the work order will be issued by Monday, while they hope that cloud seeding will start by June-end. Monsoons in the State are expected to be below normal.
G.S. Bhat, professor at Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and head of the technical committee for cloud seeding, said weather modification should be envisioned as part of water resources management, rather than drought mitigation. In 2017, the committee had suggested a long-term policy and a separate division for cloud seeding. This proposal is yet to be approved by the State government, said officials.
RDPR Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said cloud seeding in 2017, which resulted in 28% additional rainfall and 2.5 tmcft of rain water in seeded areas, was an encouraging sign to continue the project this year. “Cloud seeding just adds to the portfolio of solutions, which includes rain water harvesting and enhancing green cover,” he said at the conference.
idrw.org .Read more at India No 1 Defence News Website http://idrw.org/hal-iit-kanpur-offer-low-cost-cloud-seeding-options-to-karnataka/#more-202006 .
Currently, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) department, which is overseeing the project, has struggled to get competitive bids. Just two companies had responded to their global tender called in March this year. Both bids rely on importing radars, planes and pilots from a single company in the United States. Subsequently, costs shoot up, while import procedures add to delays, said H.S. Prakash Kumar, chief engineer, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Department.
However, IIT-Kanpur and HAL have written to the department with an offer to demonstrate their cloud seeding.“While we have already completed tender formalities, we have invited them to make a presentation. We hope that in the future, there are more companies, particularly in India, which will lower costs,” said Mr. Kumar, on the sidelines of a two-day, first-ever International Conference on Cloud Seeding here on Thursday.
Indigenous technology The offer is based on salts, which act like dispersing seeding agents, developed indigenously by IIT-Kanpur. Their partner, HAL will provide aircrafts and trained pilots. Manindra Agrawal, deputy director, IIT-Kanpur, said these salts have proven to be more effective in catalysing rainfall.
“We have been testing the salts with our small aircraft in the campus, and out of six trials, five was successful. While we are confident about our salts, we have had limitations in access to aircrafts that can target high-altitude clouds. HAL is willing to provided a Dornier aircraft, and with their pilots, we can get success in cloud seeding at considerably lower costs,” he said.
However, for the next two years, Kyathi Climate Modification Consultants and US-based Weather Modification Incorporated will conduct cloud seeding in the State. Mr. Kumar said the work order will be issued by Monday, while they hope that cloud seeding will start by June-end. Monsoons in the State are expected to be below normal.
G.S. Bhat, professor at Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and head of the technical committee for cloud seeding, said weather modification should be envisioned as part of water resources management, rather than drought mitigation. In 2017, the committee had suggested a long-term policy and a separate division for cloud seeding. This proposal is yet to be approved by the State government, said officials.
RDPR Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said cloud seeding in 2017, which resulted in 28% additional rainfall and 2.5 tmcft of rain water in seeded areas, was an encouraging sign to continue the project this year. “Cloud seeding just adds to the portfolio of solutions, which includes rain water harvesting and enhancing green cover,” he said at the conference.
idrw.org .Read more at India No 1 Defence News Website http://idrw.org/hal-iit-kanpur-offer-low-cost-cloud-seeding-options-to-karnataka/#more-202006 .
