Karnataka Launches ₹28.52 Crore Cloud Seeding Project to Fight Rain Deficit

The Karnataka government on September 4, 2026, officially launched a state-wide cloud seeding project worth ₹28.52 crore to combat significant monsoon rainfall deficits and mitigate potential water shortages across drought-hit districts. Water Resources Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy flagged off a specialized light aircraft equipped with cloud-seeding flares at the HAL Airport in Bengaluru, formally initiating the operations. The initiative is jointly implemented by the Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited (KNNL) under the Water Resources Department and the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) under the Revenue Department. Scheduled to operate over a 60-day period, the project employs Doppler radar guidance to continuously track atmospheric moisture and deploy seeding aircraft whenever suitable cumulonimbus cloud formations are detected over rain-deficit reservoir catchments and agricultural zones. To ensure scientific execution, two high-level committees—a Monitoring Committee chaired by the Development Commissioner and a Technical Advisory and Evaluation Committee—have been established to evaluate meteorological parameters and guide daily field sorties every two hours. Addressing the media, Minister Cheluvarayaswamy stated that while previous cloud-seeding operations in the state achieved a 35 percent success rate, the government's primary responsibility is securing drinking water reserves and protecting agricultural yields before the southwest monsoon concludes at the end of September.