National Policy on Cloud Seeding

The Minister of State in the Ministry of Planning, Minister of State in the Ministry of Science and Technology and Minister of State in the Ministry of Earth Sciences Dr Ashwani Kumar stated in Rajya sabha today that Central Government is aware that Gujarat has adopted cloud seeding technology to tackle drought in the state; Replying a question in Rajya Sabha Dr. Kumar said that Gujarat is testing, in a limited way, on a local scale (5-10Km range) warm cloud seeding methodology involving burning of candles made up of silver iodide and burning agents from 5 different locations simultaneously under typically identified atmospheric conditions (90% humidity, low wind conditions). The success of this experiment has not been assessed. As things stand today, artificial rain making techniques cannot be used for bringing rain clouds to rainfall deficit/drought areas. Such efforts can only induce potential preexisting clouds, already passing over a given place, to produce rain only if organized weather modification intervention becomes successful.