Date:26/07/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/07/26/stories/2005072603281900.htm

Back `Cloud seeding yields results in 10 districts'

Our Bureau

Hyderabad , July 25

THE State Government has claimed that `Indira Megha Madhanamu', the cloud-seeding programme, resulted in 1,393.3 mm of rainfall in 10 districts, which came under the "zone of influence", in a span of 35 days.

"This is 15 per cent of a total rainfall of 9,288.9 mm," Prof Y Anjaneyulu, Director of the Institute of Science and Technology at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, said.

Prof Anjaneyulu, who coordinates the monitoring cell set up to oversee cloud-seeding activity, said though eight districts were covered in the programme ten districts came under the zone of influence.

The targeted districts included Prakasam, Nellore, Chittoor and Mahabubnagar. A total of 94 mandals were covered.

At present, two radar stations at Ibrahimpatnam and Anantapur gathered information regarding potential clouds that could be tapped by the aircraft.

He said the aircraft could take off in half an hour and reach the cloud in ten minutes. Two more aircraft were likely to be pressed into service by the weekend.

Total value of work done so far was Rs 10.46 crore, Mr V.M. Manohar Prasad, Secretary of Rain-shadow Area Development, said. Though the overall performance was not up to the mark, the technical results were satisfactory, he said.