Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, August 1
Parts of Maharashtra are likely to face another year of drought as the state government’s delayed attempts to carry out cloud seeding in the worst affected areas have flopped.
According to information available from official sources, cloud seeding in Maharashtra’s drought-hit areas of Vidarbha and Marathwada was delayed as several Centre Government departments in New Delhi dragged their feet in giving clearances.
“The Maharashtra cabinet had okayed the cloud-seeding programme well before the monsoon and had earmarked Rs 30 crore for the purpose,” a state government source said.
However, the permissions that were to come in early June were received only towards the end of July, according to officials. By then, the monsoon had set in many parts of the state, barring Marathwada, Vidarbha and other drought-hit areas.
Officials say radars deployed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Management had detected rain-bearing clouds in Solapur and Osmanabad where some cloud seeding was done a few days ago.
However, it did not yield the desired results since the spraying of chemicals like silver iodide, potassium iodide etc. was done at sub-optimal levels, according to officials. The state government has, however, indicated that it would continue with the cloud-seeding exercise till the end of the monsoon season. Sources say cloud seeding was in the process of being extended to Aurangabad and other places as well.
According to weather department, Marathwada and Vidarbha have received between 50 and 70 per cent of the rainfall so far. Water level in most of the dams in these regions is low, say officials.
Meanwhile, Mumbai and its surrounding areas and Western Maharashtra have received good rainfall, according to officials.
Delay to blame
- Cloud-seeding attempts in Vidarbha and Marathwada areas got delayed as several Central Government departments delayed clearances
- The permissions expected in early June were received towards the end of July and by then the monsoon had already set in many parts of the state
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2Zq05R9
via Today’s News Headlines
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