Indian scientists hope to make it rain
By Richa Sharma, New Delhi, June 28 : If it doesn't rain, it might still pour! That's what some Indian scientists are hoping to achieve with a national cloud seeding programme at a time when there's uncertainty about the arrival and intensity of the monsoon this year.
Scientists at the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) are set to create artificial rain with this programme.
Cloud seeding is the process of introducing chemicals (either dry ice or more commonly, silver iodide aerosols, potassium and sodium chloride) into the upper part of clouds to try to stimulate the precipitation process and get rain.
'Scientists at the IITM have started the experiment to create artificial rain. It is a three-year project launched in May and, based on the feedback, the government will take a call on its implementation,' Shailesh Nayak, secretary at the Earth Sciences Ministry, told IANS.
The IITM, a premier research institute under the government, launched the Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement Experiment (Caipeex) on May 17, 2009, to study cloud seeding.
'It is a national programme which will help in providing a scientific basis for the operational way of cloud-seeding. For the last 20 years we have been experimentally undertaking cloud-seeding activity successfully and an 11-year cloud seeding project between 1973 and 1984 showed increase in rainfall by 20 percent,' J.R. Kulkarni, programme manager at Caipeex, told IANS.
The experiment will be carried out in three phases. During the first phase (May-October), the scientists have been observing different monsoon clouds over the country using an aircraft with special equipment.
'The aircraft is equipped with a special instrument to measure cloud parameters - temperature, wind, liquid water droplets - and aerosol background. This data will provide us with properties of clouds in different parts of the country,' said Kulkarni.
The IIMT has already studied clouds in western and northern parts of India and the team is likely to finish the southern region by June end.
During the second phase (June-September 2010), random cloud seeding experiments will be carried out, using the aircraft equipped for seeding and the one containing the special equipment.
'Based on the properties of clouds, we will start the seeding programme across India. The seeding aircraft will spray hygroscopic particles (salts) that can broaden water droplets in clouds and hasten the onset of precipitation formation,' said Kulkarni.
In the third phase (2011-12), scientists will measure and analyse the seeding impact.
'A dense network of automatic rain gauges will be installed in the experimental area to measure the rainfall. Rain water samples will be collected from the seeded and non-seeded clouds. The chemical analysis of rain water samples will be carried out to understand the effect of seeding on the precipitated water,' he said.
'The experiment will give us an idea which areas are conducive for cloud-seeding and the amount of increase in rainfall after the experiment,' he added.
Many other organisations, including the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur, the National Aerospace Laboratory, Bangalore, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy, are participating in the project.
China presently has the largest cloud seeding system in the world. It used cloud seeding in Beijing just before the 2008 Olympic Games in order to clear the air of pollution. In February 2009, China also used iodide sticks to artificially induce snowfall over Beijing after four months of drought.
A total of 24 countries currently practse weather modification operationally.
--IANS
Most Visited Articles:
Student Loan- The way to nurture and fulfill your Goals
Forex Trading- A Smart Choice of Earning
Web Hosting Tips- Are Dedicated Servers Really Worth the Penny?
Lil Wayne To Lead Haiti Concert Before Entering Jail
Nothing wrong in betting firms sponsoring Grand Slam: Andy Roddick
Ringo Starr honoured with Hollywood Walk of Fame star
Michelle Obama under fire over obesity comments
UAE, Turkmenistan sign bilateral agreements
Senior Al Qaeda man killed in Somalia
Thilakan protests, Malayalam film body demands apology
Iran starts 20-percent uranium enrichment process
UAE, Poland strengthen economic ties
Sri Lankan parliament dissolved
Hostel warden arrested for sexually exploiting inmates
Apex court clears government way to acquire south Delhi land
Turkey joins India in battling terror, backs global convention
'Ghosts' in Punjab posing big threat to Canadian immigration
Azad shoots down Omar's proposed surrender policy
Shock defeats for Ireland, Scotland, Kenya
Pakistani court orders A.Q. Khan's medical examination
India, Africa should be partners in capacity-building: Academics
No good or bad Taliban, says Iran
Why Madhavan doesn't sign Tamil projects?
Hakimullah Mehsud dead, say Taliban sources
Katrina Kaif rescued by the forest department
Sena mobs attack theatres ahead of 'My Name Is Khan' release
Purab Kohli tries to scare pretty co-star!
Russian movie 'August 17' bags top honour at XIth MIFF
No gossip girls for Anjana Sukhani
Genetic engineering panel should be more transparent: Ramesh
Toh Baat Pakki director floored by Tabu!
Priyanka Chopra awed with My Name is Khan
Vidya Balan is not apologetic about her lust
Kashmir government gets 10-year extension of tax package
Udita Goswami ready with Chase!
'Rath yatra' to herald Gujarat golden jubilee
Pallavi Subhash childless in Sony's next!
Vijay and Asin in 'Bodyguard' remake
'We will not allow screening of My Name Is Khan'
Dr.Riddhima Marries Dr. Siddhant?
Asha Bhosle sings for Kannada film
Digvijay Singh briefs Sonia on Azamgarh visit
Vivan Bhatena spoils Kritika's brand new car!