K’taka govt forms committees for cloud seeding programme

Bengaluru, Aug 29 (IANS) The Karnataka government has constituted two committees to oversee, monitor and provide technical guidance for the implementation of its cloud seeding programme, amid deficient monsoon rainfall across most parts of the state this year, an official statement by the Ministry of Water Resources said on Saturday.

The committees were constituted through an order issued with the objective of ensuring the smooth implementation of the programme and providing scientific and technical guidance for cloud seeding operations in rainfall‑deficient areas.

The first committee, the Monitoring Committee, will be responsible for overall supervision, monitoring and review of the cloud seeding programme.

The Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner will head the six‑member committee.

Its members include the Additional Chief Secretary of the Water Resources Department, Principal Secretary of the Revenue Department (Disaster Management), Secretaries of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department and Agriculture Department, Secretary of the Water Resources Department, and the Managing Director of the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC).

The Managing Director of the Karnataka Irrigation Corporation Limited will serve as the Member Secretary.

The second panel, the Technical Advisory and Evaluation Committee, will provide technical assistance, guidance and recommendations to the KSNDMC for implementing the programme.

The KSNDMC Director will chair the committee, which will have eight members, a Member Secretary and a special invitee.

The members include representatives from the Agriculture Department, India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre.

Professor Nagesh Kumar of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), retired professor G.S. Bhat, former Engineer‑in‑Chief of the Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, H.S. Prakash Kumar, a representative of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, not below the rank of Joint Director, and the Chief Environmental Officer of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board will also be members.

The Chief Engineer of the Malaprabha Project Zone of the Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited (KNNL) will serve as the Member Secretary. Sanjeev Sangami, Head of the Department of Civil Engineering at Jain College of Engineering in Belagavi, has been appointed as the special invitee.

According to the government, administrative approval has been granted for an estimated Rs 28.52 crore, excluding GST, for the cloud seeding programme.

The programme will be 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.

The government has decided to procure the cloud seeding services through Kyathi Climate Modification Consultants LLP. The firm has been granted exemption from the provisions of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act for the purpose.

–IANS

mka/dan