KODUNGALLUR: E T Taison MLA has written to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan seeking immediate action to provide artificial rainfall as a remedy for the severe heat wave the state is facing. The letter pointed that in the Gulf countries and other states like Karnataka, when the heat wave becomes unbearable, the system of spraying chemicals on the clouds to bring rain, is widespread. The letter also said that it is enough to seek the help of UAE experts in this field to reduce costs.

According to this technique called cloud seeding, chemicals are sprayed through small planes into the cloud layers that remain in the atmosphere without rain. Potassium/silver iodide, potassium chloride, solid carbon dioxide etc are sent through. With this the cloud particles will become rain.

For artificial rain to be successful, there must be gray clouds in the atmosphere.

Experts also estimate that instead of the usual blue clouds in Kerala, these gray clouds were visible during the heat wave. The atmosphere is covered with alto cumulus, cirrocumulus and stratus clouds visible at an altitude of 4000 m. Cloud seeding can be done all over Kerala and border states.

This is how cloud seeding works
1. Silver iodide or other chemicals (potassium chloride, solid carbon dioxide) are sprayed into cloud layers by small aircraft.
2. Chemicals reach clouds
3. Cloud layers are cooled and transformed into ice crystals or the like
4. As the ice crystals fall, they turn into liquid form and fall as rain

Profit even if it costs 100 crores!
Crop damage due to lack of rain and drought in 45,399 hectares
875 crore in loss amount