INDIA HAS ARTIFICIAL RAIN TECHNOLOGY, WILL USE ONLY IN EXTREME CASE: RIJIJU

Artificial rain is a sensitive and policy matter but it can be used to serve humanity during critical times, said Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday.

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During an interaction with reporters, Rijiju, who is the Minister of Earth Sciences, said that “we should not play with nature” while noting the moral difficulty regarding artificial rain as inducing rain in an area can lead to desertification in another.

“Weather management... it sounds unnatural and threatening... We should not play with nature. But at this critical time for the survival of humanity, we can use it if required. If we want to block the flow of monsoon here, it can cause desertification somewhere else,” he added.

“If my action is going to harm somebody, how can you justify it? It (artificial rain) is a very sensitive matter and a policy matter as well,” Rjijiu said.

The minister was interacting with reporters following the unveiling of a new logo commemorating 150 years of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).