Credit: DH Photo
The Assembly on Thursday discussed a private member’s bill, the Karnataka Cloud Seeding Bill, 2024, aimed at institutionalising cloud-seeding as a method to fight drought.
Congress’ Prakash Koliwad tabled the bill during Zero Hour. He said cloud-seeding is a tested and proven technology to enhance catchment of rain for states like Karnataka, which face drought regularly.
He said continuous cloud-seeding could help mitigate water scarcity in crunch times.
“Even if the state can enhance rainfall by 20% by this method, it will be able to lessen crop loss figures by Rs 7,000 crore,” the member said.
The Bill said the government must form a state-level nodal agency, which should hold meetings regularly.
For cloud seeding, the government must purchase an aircraft equipped with a radar that could cost Rs 30 crore, Koliwad said.
Past experience
Intervening at this juncture, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil, who was instrumental in introducing cloud-seeding technology in the year 2002 during his tenure as irrigation minister, said that the benefits of cloud-seeding were proven as this tech was used to ensure rain in north Karnataka districts.