Making fake rain to help with pollution is still a bit of a mystery. Scientists aren’t sure if cloud seeding will work outside of the monsoon season. Plus, not every cloud can be seeded and not every cloud will actually produce rain.
The ₹200-crore CAIPEX Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement Experiment (CAIPEEX Phase-4), as it was called, even tracked individual clouds to see the extent to which they were influenced by seeding. “Not all clouds are seedable, not all clouds will make rain. There are clouds that will get dissipated on seeding. Overall, however, there was a net increase of 18% [rainfall] in a 100 sq. km. area. Our experiment was very controlled and we selected clouds based on their potential to make rain,” Dr. Thara Prabhakaran, the lead scientist for the experiment told The Hindu.
CAIPEEX is funded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India. The program is conducted by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, which is an autonomous institute under the MoES. CAIPEEX acknowledges contributions of the Governing Council of IITM chaired by the Secretary, MoES; Director, IITM; Chair and members of the National Science Steering Committee (NSSC-CAIPEEX); Members of the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) of IITM; Program Directors of the schemes ACROSS and REACHOUT at MoES; all ex Secretaries of MoES, India Meteorological Department (IMD) DG, ex-Directors of IITM; several scientists at MoES, IITM, and IMD, ex-Project Directors of CAIPEEX, Several officers from Indian Air Force, Principals, and staff of N B Navale Sinhgad College of Engineering, Solapur and Shri Tulja Bhavani College of Engineering, Tuljapur; pilots; and Directors of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI), Pune and Mumbai Air Traffic Controllers (ATC); equipment providers; local authorities and airport staff at Solapur, Maharashtra.
Ref: https://www.tropmet.res.in/~lip/Publication/Technical-Reports/CAIPEEX-Report-July2023.pdf
Delaying the artificial rain plan
Due to the potential negative impact on the environment, the implementation of artificial rain plans has been put off.
Scientists and environmentalists have raised several valid concerns, suggesting that the risks associated with artificial rain could outweigh its benefits.
Environmental Impact
- Disruption of Natural Weather Patterns:
- The introduction of artificial rain may disrupt natural weather patterns and precipitation cycles. This interference could have far-reaching consequences, potentially leading to unintended ecological imbalances.
- Chemical Pollution:
- The substances used in artificial rain, such as silver iodide, can introduce foreign chemical compounds into the environment. The long-term impact of these chemicals on ecosystems, wildlife, and human health has not been adequately studied.
Unpredictable Consequences
- Alteration of Microclimate:
- Artificially inducing rainfall may alter the microclimate of an area. This alteration can have unforeseen repercussions, such as changes in temperature, humidity, and wind patterns, affecting agricultural practices and local habitats.
- Risk of Flooding:
- The inability to accurately predict the outcome of artificial rain can pose risks of excessive precipitation, leading to flash floods and soil erosion. This can result in severe damage to infrastructure and loss of life.
- Unknown long-term effects:
- Despite extensive research, the long-term effects of cloud seeding on the environment are not fully understood. Introducing artificial substances into the atmosphere can have unpredictable consequences that may only become evident over time.
- Considering these concerns, it is important to prioritize environmental sustainability and carefully evaluate the potential risks associated with artificial rain plans.
TOI Nov 20, 2023: Met factors not conducive, artificial rain plan put off
Ref: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/artificial-rain-plan-put-off/articleshow/105341443.cms
Source: Wikipedia
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