Bengaluru, 30 August 2026: Karnataka government has constituted two separate committees to oversee and provide technical guidance for the implementation of cloud seeding operations, amid a shortfall in southwest monsoon rainfall across several parts of the State.
Government has taken up cloud seeding as one of the measures to address the emerging drought-like situation caused by deficient monsoon rainfall. The operation is being implemented at an estimated cost of ₹28.52 crore.
According to the government order, a private cloud-seeding agency has been engaged to carry out the operations. The two committees have been constituted to ensure proper monitoring, scientific implementation and technical support, particularly in areas facing rainfall deficiency.
Oversight committee
Oversight Committee will function under the chairmanship of the State's Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner.
Additional Chief Secretary of the Water Resources Department, Principal Secretary of Revenue Department (Disaster Management), Secretary of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, Secretary of Agriculture Department, Secretary of Water Resources Department and Director of the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) have been appointed as members. Managing Director of the concerned irrigation corporation has been designated as the Member Secretary.
Technical advisory and evaluation panel
A separate Technical Advisory and Evaluation Committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Director of KSNDMC to provide scientific guidance, technical assistance and evaluation.
Committee includes the Director of Agriculture, Director of the IMD Meteorological Centre, Director of the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre, IISc professor Prof. Nagesh Kumar, retired professor Prof. G.S. Bhat, retired senior engineering official H.S. Prakash Kumar, a representative not below the rank of Joint Director from IITM Pune and the Chief Environmental Officer of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board.
Chief Engineer of the Malaprabha Project Zone has been appointed as Member Secretary. Dr. Sanjeev Sangam, Head of the Civil Engineering Department at Jain College of Engineering, Belagavi, has been appointed as a special invitee. Committees are expected to help ensure that cloud-seeding operations are scientifically planned, monitored and evaluated in areas experiencing rainfall deficiency.
Keywords
Karnataka cloud seeding, Cloud seeding Karnataka, Karnataka monsoon rainfall, KSNDMC, Karnataka drought, Cloud seeding project, Citizen News Puttur