GOVERNING THE CLOUDS

In the absence of evidence, replicability, funding and transparency, cloud seeding languishes as an imperfect science

- PRANAY LAL

WHEN THE fog lifted at 5 am on January 23, 1967, an unmarked US military transport plane landed at Delhi's Palam airport. In its steel belly were disassembled machine parts and 17 atmospheric scientists from the Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS), China Lake, California. This was a secret mission, and no entries were made for the public. The weather reconnaissance and cloud seeding aircraft arrived with the American “assistance” worth of US $300,000 (about $3 million in 2025). The aid was to alleviate Bihar's persistent drought that Time magazine described as “one of the greatest humanitarian crises of the year.” The drought morphed into a famine, and pushed India-US diplomacy to a critical point.

US President Lyndon Johnson withheld food aid and instead offered agricultural technologies as he was miffed with India's prime minister Indira Gandhi over her criticism of US involvement in Vietnam. Johnson was also anxious about India's growing proximity to the Soviets. This technology that arrived was intended to “make clouds” and drop rain over Bihar's parched land. NOTS had previously attempted to induce rain over the Caribbean (codenamed Project Stormfury). It had also attempted to prolong the monsoon season over Laos and Vietnam to disrupt North Vietnam's supply routes (Operation Popeye). The India project was codenamed GROMET. To placate Pakistan, the technology was hastily offered to them as well.