Maharashtra to go for cloud seeding amid worries of scanty rainfall

PUNE: Maharashtra, which ranks second in soyabean and cotton production, is giving artificial rainfall another shot in an attempt to save crops, 13 years after a similar experiment failed. Amid worries that a dry spell may force re-sowing to take place, the state government has shortlisted a private agency for cloud seeding to generate artificial rainfall during August to October. About 80 per cent of the state's cultivable land depends on rainfall.

The government wants to ensure that kharif crops get at least one life-saving rainfall in those key months and is hoping that advances in artificial rainfall will help.

"Many a time during the dry spell, crops require only one rain to survive. If they don't get it, we have to lose crops worth crores of rupees," Maharashtra agriculture minister Eknath Khadse told ET. "The state government had done experiment of artificial rainfall in 2002, but it was not successful. Now we have new technology. We had invited a global tender to which three agencies responded and we have shortlisted one of them."

The state government is already assessing the possibility of re-sowing in large parts of western Maharashtra, Khandesh and parts of Marathwada and Vidarbha.

"The situation is worrisome in these parts as there has been no rain for more than 15 days," said a top official of the state's agriculture department. Another highlevel official from Mantralaya, the state government's administrative headquarters in Mumbai, said that in all probability, artificial rainfall will be required in the near future. "We will do cloud seeding as an experiment. As the process requires large number of noobjection certificates from various government agencies, we have started preparations in order to keep ourselves ready for any emergency in August-September," the official said.

Cloud seeding is the process of dispersing substances in the air to stimulate precipitation.

The state government has allocated Rs 27 crore for the project. A radar control station will be set up at Aurangabad. "Area within a radius of 250 kilometers can be covered from Aurangabad," said Khadse. KCMC, the private agency shortlisted for the project, has been asked to prepare for 200 hours of flying over three months, starting August.