NA panel for setting up cloud seeding centres

Helicopter, rocket launchers are required for use of this technology

ISLAMABAD: A panel of parliamentarians strongly recommended setting up a centre for cloud seeding – a form of weather modification – stressing that the federal and provincial governments should create awareness among the masses regarding proper species of tree for plantation.

The meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change was held at the Parliament House under the chair of MNA Dr Hafeez-ur-Rehman Khan Drishak on Friday.

The committee discussed Cloud Seeding, Implementation of Green Pakistan Project, Pollution created by the use of coal in brick kilns and its alternative measures and disadvantages of plantation of poplar tree alongside highways.



While briefing the standing committee members, Pakistan Meteorological Department Director General Dr Ghulam Rasul said: “Cloud seed experiments were performed twice in Pakistan -- one in the 1950s and the other from 1999 to 2002.”

Rasul said experiments carried out in the summer season were more successful as compared to the winter season and added that in summer the success ratio was 60-70 % while in the winter season, the success ratio was 56%.

The committee members raised questions whether the technology was also being utilised by any other country.

Rasul replied that China was using this technology every year very successfully while some countries in the Middle East also made use of the cloud seeding technology successfully.

Cloud seeding is a way of changing the amount or type of precipitation that falls from clouds by dispersing substances into the air that serve as cloud condensation or ice nuclei, which alter the microphysical processes within the cloud.

The parliamentarians asked why cloud seeding could not be continued in Pakistan. At this Dr Rasul said: “If resources are provided to the PMD, then it can be resumed in Pakistan.”



He said helicopter and rocket launchers were required for the use of this technology.

“We can employ this technology if we get the support for the establishment of a permanent centre,” the DG said. At this committee members strongly recommended that such centres should be established and directed the PMD to prepare a project concept for this purpose.

The Standing Committee asked the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) to take a detailed report regarding the implementation of “Green Pakistan Project” from the provinces.

The committee also directed the ministry to provide a detailed study to the standing committee in its next meeting regarding the use of coal in brick kilns and its adverse effects on the environment.

MoCC Inspector General Forest Syed Mehmood Nasir, while briefing committee members regarding the Green Pakistan Programme, said: “Financial progress of the GPP may come late but physical progress of the project is very robust.”

MNA Malik Ihtebar Khan expressed concerns over plantation of poplar trees and said it was a polluter tree. At this IG Nasir replied that this perception was wrong and said poplar was a cash crop and had great demand, particularly in the sports industry in the country.

The committee members stressed that brick kilns must be registered and there should be some standards for brick kiln industry in Pakistan. The parliamentarian directed Pak-EPA to register brick kilns in federal capital territory.