Cloud seeding to be conducted in K'tan from June 21

The government has agreed to carry out cloud seeding in Kelantan for three days starting June 21 to address depleted Kelantan River water levels.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the operation is also to mitigate the impact of hot weather and the Southwest Monsoon, which is expected to persist until September.

The Central Disaster Management Committee chairperson said this follows a request from the Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority (Kada).

It will be coordinated through the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, the Meteorological Department, and the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

Zahid also approved RM5 million from the National Disaster Relief Trust Fund to ensure the success of the operation.

"The three-day operation is hoped to increase the water level of the Kelantan River to irrigate the affected agricultural areas,” he said in a statement today, adding that it is an initial measure taken by the federal government to address the issue.

The low rainfall recorded from February to April has contributed to the depletion of the Kelantan River's water level and disrupted the operation of pumps across the Kada area, Zahid added.

For the Kemubu pump house to operate fully, he said the Kelantan River needs to reach a water level of 4.90m, but Kada recorded only 2.19m in the second week of April.

“This effort is hoped to promptly provide sufficient water resources in the catchment areas during the hot and dry weather, particularly in Kelantan.

“I also hope that this integrated effort can help increase the water capacity in the catchment areas and subsequently ensure that the water supply can be delivered to users without any disruption,” he added.

Zahid also urged Nadma and the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry to report the results of the cloud seeding operation on June 23.

- Bernama

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