Hercules to go cloud seeding

SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: A Hercules C-130 aircraft will be sent here today on a cloud-seeding operation that is expected to help extinguish forest fires fast spreading in the province, Antara said here yesterday.

Two posts in Bandung's Husein Sastranegara airfield and the Sepinggan Airport in Balikpapan have been set up to support the operations, according to Suwarna, the head of the team from the National Coordinating Body for Disaster Prevention, after attending a meeting on the operation sponsored by the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT).

"We have the support of the Air Force and the Navy, as well as two Cassa planes in our Balikpapan post," he said.

He said some 20 tons of Natrium Hydro-Chloride (NHCl) have been prepared for the operation.

The Hercules sent from Bandung will be in charge of bombing Chloride Oxygen to eliminate the smoke covering East Kalimantan while the aircraft from Balikpapan will take charge of bombing the NHCl powder to be dropped into the clouds to produce rain, he said.

"The success of the operation however will entirely depend on the humidity, and atmospheric and wind pressure," a BPPT staff member said.

The operation's targets are the Kutai National Park, the Bukit Soeharto Park and other areas prone to fire.

The operation will last 10 days and will be extended for another 10 days if necessary, the BPPT staff member added.