Government delays cloud seeding

Government delays cloud seeding

JAKARTA: The government decided on Monday to delay a cloud
seeding operation to deal with the dry season in Yogyakarta and
Central Jakarta because of a request by the local
administrations, a minister said.

State Minister of Science and Technology Hatta Radjasa said
after a Cabinet meeting that Yogyakarta and Central Java
governors had written him, suggesting that the government wait
for another week before implementing the project because local
farmers were planting dry season corps on their rice fields.

The Technology Assessment and Application Agency (BPPT) had
planned a cloud seeding operation in Wonogiri and Kedungombo in
Central Java and other hard-hit areas in Yogyakarta this week,
although it was skeptical about its success due to the lack of
clouds.

The agency had provided Rp 10 billion (US$1.1million) for the
cloud seeding. Hatta said the plane which would carry out the
project was ready for use at Adisucipto airport in Yogyakarta.
--JP