Cloud seeding’s potential to ease drought is uncertain

The Karnataka government launched a cloud-seeding programme in September to address rainfall deficits in drought-affected parts of the state. Since the launch of the programme, worth around ₹28 crore (₹285 million), questions have been raised about the viability of cloud-seeding operations this late in the monsoon. Cloud seeding is a disputed weather modification technique that introduces particles into suitable existing clouds to influence how precipitation forms. It cannot create new clouds, and its effect on rainfall is difficult to measure. Weather experts, including senior IMD officials, have cautioned that “conditions are not favourable” for cloud seeding in Karnataka. Highest rainfall deficit on record “For the people of Karnataka, drought is a very common feature,” says G.S. Srinivasa Reddy, former director of the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), who has 35 years of experience in real-time weather monitoring. Since the turn of the 21st century, Reddy says, 17 of the 26 years have been drought years in Karnataka. But 2026 has been particularly severe, as the state recorded just 551 millimetres of rainfall between June 1 and September 30, a record 35% rainfall deficit. According to the KSNDMC, 30 districts and 209 taluks in the state recorded rainfall ranging from “deficit” to “large deficit” in the June to September period. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast notes that 2026 will be an El Niño year, and, according to Reddy, almost 60% of Karnataka’s drought years have coincided with El Niño. A bird’s eye view of agricultural fields in Karnataka.…This article was originally published on Mongabay