Next month could see IIT Kanpur deploying a mixture of chemicals it has developed into the sky to induce rain.
This comes just five months after China, a pioneer of this technology, refused to share its know-how. The Uttar Pradesh government then turned to the premier Indian institute. The method, called cloud seeding, involves deploying small concentrations on substance around which moisture vapour condenses into clouds. Eventually, the water droplets becomes too heavy to remain in the air and comes down as rain.
“The mixture is most critical part and we have perfected it,” explained IIT Kanpur deputy director Manindra Agarwal. “The rest of the technology is quite standard.” The institute has already run some tests and now is preparing for a more elaborate trial – taking it to the sky.
“We have an in-house aircraft (a Cessna) as well as our own air-strip,” said Agarwal. “We are in the process of procuring spraying instruments. In the mean time we also await the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) clearance that is required for this exercise.”
While Agarwal could not confirm where the trial will take place, the state government hopes to soon have it over Mahoba.
“We do not want to rush into things. It might take some more months before its large scale use. But when it does we plan to start with Mahoba (in Bundelkhand), which is the most parched district at present and there are reports that even the under-ground water has also dried there,” said Dharampal Singh, state irrigation minister. “China had offered to share the process with us for about Rs 10.5 crore but for reasons best known to them, they backed out in February this year. We even asked them to participate in a global tender but they didn’t.”
“IIT-Kanpur was then asked to undertake the project and recently, they made a presentation before us, including Chief Minister,” he said. “The estimated cost of inducing artificial rain over 1000 square kilometre using the IIT Kanpur technique would come to around Rs 5 crore.”
IIT-Kanpur said it developed the technique with three collaborating departments – aerospace engineering, civil engineering and bio-engineering.
In 2008, an attempt by the then state government to induce rain in Bundelkhand did not take-off.