Karnataka begins cloud-seeding flights from HAL Airport

A specialised light aircraft took off from HAL Airport on September 4 as Karnataka began a cloud-seeding operation aimed at increasing rainfall.

Water Resources Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy flagged off the flight, describing the project as an effort to help farmers and address concerns around drinking water and agriculture amid a rain deficit. He said Karnataka had tried cloud seeding in 2003, when it recorded a 27% success rate, and said the state was now hoping for at least 20-25%.

The process involves releasing cloud-seeding agents into suitable moisture-bearing clouds, giving water droplets or ice crystals a surface on which to form and grow until they fall as precipitation. Aircraft are used to reach selected clouds.

The operation cannot produce rain from a clear sky. Its results depend on cloud structure, humidity, temperature, wind and the moisture already available in the atmosphere. For Bengaluru residents, HAL Airport is the launch point for the state operation; any additional rainfall will depend on weather conditions over the clouds targeted by the aircraft.