Maharashtra to continue cloud seeding experiment, says Khadse

Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Eknath Khadse today said the state government is satisfied with results of the recently conducted cloud seeding experiment and plans to continue it until the end of the monsoon season.
He denied reports that the experiment had failed and said that it succeeded in drought-prone areas of Ahmednagar and Beed districts, though it did not work in Osmanabad district, where the drought situation is severe.
However, he said that the project would continue in the Osmanabad region as well.
"Media reports that the experiment has failed is not true. In fact, after the experiment of August 4, rainfall in the range of 33 mm was recorded in parts of Ahmednagar and Beed districts," Khadse said.

Records submitted by the Relief and Rehabilitation Department from Shevgaon, Erandgaon and Newas tehsils in Ahmednagar district have recorded rainfall of 14.6 mm, 33 mm and 12 mm respectively, he said.
In Majalgaon and Shirur-Kasar in Beed district, 30 mm of rainfall was recorded respectively.

He said that recent rains have ensured that resowing could be done on 6 lakh hectares across the state and that the compensation burden on the Maharashtra state government has reduced to 4 lakh hectares.
"The cloud seeding experiment was performed on the second day, that is on August 5 in Beed district, and though only 5 mm to 11 mm of rain was recorded, it was successful," Khadse said.

"In the Marathwada region, Osmanabad is facing a very bad situation and there is lack of drinking water. Hence, the state will continue the experiment until the monsoon season is over," Khadse said, adding that the government could perform the experiment with good results for at least 200 hours.