Heavy rains have not only brought relief to Mumbaikars, but also to the civic officials. The BMC officials are now contemplating if they should still go ahead with cloud seeding project to increase water levels in the lakes around Mumbai, as the heavy downpour could bode well for the water levels in lakes.
Municipal commissioner Sitaram Kunte on Monday said that the BMC would study the deficit rainfall before taking a final call on the need for cloud seeding. According to him, the rainfall is still unpredictable and therefore, cloud seeding plans cannot be scrapped immediately.
Monsoons have reached its peak only in the last week of August and the rainfall has been better than the entire season put together. This has also resulted in lakes filling up at a much faster rate.
As per the earlier plans, the project was supposed to start on September 1 and go on till September 28, however, the BMC has still not received clearances from the concerned authorities like Directorate-General of Civil Aviation, home department, etc to conduct the cloud seeding experiment.
But Mr Kunte made it evident on Monday that the BMC was rethinking over cloud seeding in the catchment areas of the lakes, and thus it has been deferred.
Earlier this season, due to the very low water levels in all the lakes, the BMC had planned to launch a cloud seeding programme so that Mumbaikars do not face water shortage during summers.
At the time of announcing the project, the cost was pegged at `12 crore, but after issues cropped up with the Israeli company that was to help execute the project, the BMC enlisted the help of a South African firm and the cost was modified to `20 crore.