Mumbai: Cloud-seeding is not on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) agenda, as officials said experiments had not produced any result earlier, and there was no need to waste public money again.
The BMC, instead, is trying to secure clearance to start work on four dams in adjoining districts that will take care of the city's water needs till 2040. The water needs are calculated according to the gradually growing population and water level of these dams every monsoon.
A senior officer stated that cloudseeding was not a successful and tested technology . “We are against such experiments. Some vested interests are pursuing it for personal gain. A businessman recently approached a senior civic officer to conduct a cloud-seeding test again at a cost of Rs 40 crore. The BMC rejected his proposal as there is no guarantee it will produce any result this time,“ said an officer.
The four dam projects will add up the daily water supply in the city by up to 2,886 million litres. The city uses 3,750 million litres daily , but the requirement is 4,200 million litres. Out of four proposed dams, work on the ones in Pinjal and Gargai in Palghar district will be done by the BMC, for which it will have to displace 17 villages. But the BMC`s land acquisition proposal is pending with the Palghat district collector for nearly six months.
Another two dams will come up on the Damanganga-Pinjal river link project. Work on this national project will be done by the National Water Development Authority (NWDA) with BMC assistance. The BMC and NWDA are awaiting few more clearances to start work. Civic officials said these projects are crucial to solve the city's water problem during summer.
Presently , seven lakes are left with 2,29,804 million litres, which will fulfill the city's needs till July-end. The BMC expects that it will rain before that to add to the water stock.
The civic authorities are prepared to conduct a water audit if the monsoon is delayed and will accordingly decide about water cuts.
Additional municipal commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee said, "We got most of the permission. We are getting the land to start dam construction work in Palghar."
The BMC, instead, is trying to secure clearance to start work on four dams in adjoining districts that will take care of the city's water needs till 2040. The water needs are calculated according to the gradually growing population and water level of these dams every monsoon.
A senior officer stated that cloudseeding was not a successful and tested technology . “We are against such experiments. Some vested interests are pursuing it for personal gain. A businessman recently approached a senior civic officer to conduct a cloud-seeding test again at a cost of Rs 40 crore. The BMC rejected his proposal as there is no guarantee it will produce any result this time,“ said an officer.
The four dam projects will add up the daily water supply in the city by up to 2,886 million litres. The city uses 3,750 million litres daily , but the requirement is 4,200 million litres. Out of four proposed dams, work on the ones in Pinjal and Gargai in Palghar district will be done by the BMC, for which it will have to displace 17 villages. But the BMC`s land acquisition proposal is pending with the Palghat district collector for nearly six months.
Another two dams will come up on the Damanganga-Pinjal river link project. Work on this national project will be done by the National Water Development Authority (NWDA) with BMC assistance. The BMC and NWDA are awaiting few more clearances to start work. Civic officials said these projects are crucial to solve the city's water problem during summer.
Presently , seven lakes are left with 2,29,804 million litres, which will fulfill the city's needs till July-end. The BMC expects that it will rain before that to add to the water stock.
The civic authorities are prepared to conduct a water audit if the monsoon is delayed and will accordingly decide about water cuts.
Additional municipal commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee said, "We got most of the permission. We are getting the land to start dam construction work in Palghar."
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