Experiments with weather modification tech to alter rain patterns on govt radar

The Union government is actively considering experimentation of various weather modification technologies for rain enhancement and suppression for widespread application in a few years.

- Jayashree Nandi

To begin with, a cloud chamber will be opened soon at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology for study and experimentation of cloud seeding, according to officials.

Some of these weather modification technologies will be presented at the llth WMO Scientific Conference on Weather Modification to be hosted by IITM Pune between November 3 and 7. The last such conference took place in 2011. The conference will focus on ‘weather modification, with special emphasis on scientific advances in the field. The conference will have sessions on the fundamentals of cloud physics and designing weather modification projects around the world. Major research and operational projects will be highlighted at this conference. These projects are particularly important for India because under Mission Mausam, one of the deliverables is “weather management.”