Visakhapatnam July 17: The district administration is yet to take up the cloud seeding project for the region though it has been cleared by the state government recently. Cloud seeding would be carried out in Raiwada region as per the government orders. In its order the state asked the collector to consult Prof. T. Sivaji Rao, director of Environmental studies, and his associates who had earlier carried cloud seeding successfully in the district.

Anantapur, July 6: The agriculture minister, Mr N. Raghuveera Reddy, said that cloud seeding would be taken up in another 10 days due to lack of rains in Anantapur district. Speaking to newsmen here on Sunday, he said tenders were called to conduct cloud seeding for the next five years. He said that a government committee would examine the tenders and finalise them within two days. The minister said that steps would be taken to conduct cloud seeding on a war-footing.

The state government on Wednesday decided to continue the controversial cloud seeding operations for another five years. Tenders have been called to select the company which will conduct the operations. A top official said that there was actually no scientific reason for continuing the programme but added that there was

In the chronically drought-hit Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh where natural rainfall over the past four years has been scarce, causing a severe drinking water and agrarian crisis, creating artificial rain through cloud seeding with the help of small airplanes is being seen as a viable alternative to obviate the people's miseries. A similar experiment has yielded satisfactory results in Andhra Pradesh.

At a time when the Chief Minister and other ministers are praising the rain gods for regular showers and releasing thanksgiving advertisements, the rain shadow areas development department (RSAD) claims that its efforts have paid rich dividends. Impressed by the "work" done by the private aviation company M/s Agni Aviation, the government has decided to continue the cloud seeding operation in the drought-prone areas of the state for another five years, from 2008-09. But no scientific data is available so far that could clearly prove the impact of cloud seeding.