Cloudseeding, is it good?

April 28, 2024May 18, 2024Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Published in Dwarka Express on 28.4.24

Could you challenge nature? Scientists may dare to say, YES. In fact, we can quote many examples to prove that most of the human activities are performed against nature, rather artificially. However, certain acts take a heavy toll against human lives. Disasters happen when we construct a big dam, causing induced earthquakes. In Himalayas, few tunnels constructed, using dynamite blasts, have shaken the rocks and resulted in landslides. Silkyara tunnel mishap in Uttarakhand where 41 workers were trapped inside the tunnel was due to such massive construction defects. Another classic example is that we do not get rain due to the felling of trees and destruction of waterbodies. The recent cloud seeding action in Dubai seems to have evoked controversy. Cloud seeding is an artificial weather modification technique that aims to improve a cloud’s ability to produce rain or snow by introducing tiny ice nuclei (silver iodide) into certain types of cold clouds. Recently I met an IT guy who flew from Dubai. He said that the current turmoil in Dubai was not due to cloud seeding. He added of course that in Dubai, nothing is transparent, but still general impression is that cloud seeding is not responsible for the recent havoc. He also confirmed that such cloud seedings are common in Dubai, but the rains this time was unprecedented and appeared that it was due to climate change. Whether climate change or cloud seeding, the fact was that Dubai floated.

254 millimeters of rainfall was recorded in one Dubai town which is the highest amount of rainfall recorded there. According to a report, the low-pressure systems in the upper atmosphere and surface-level pressure fluctuations created conditions which resulted in the formation of intense thunderstorms. However, if we look into the cloud seeding. According to www.earth.org, cloud seeding cannot have a massive impact. Cloud seeding can only change certain clouds and does not affect the complex patterns of big-scale weather and climate events. Certainly, it helps right away with water and soil, but looking deeper suggests a complicated relationship with possible effects on local ecosystem. The silver iodide particles are injected into the atmosphere, triggers other pollutants. It is a potential health mess, all while trying to control the weather. Therefore, we can say with confidence that cloud seeding is not a perfect solution for combating drought. Further it is feared that human exposure in cloud seeding will lead to threat of iodism, which means skin rashes and digestive issues. Such pitfalls will result due to tampering of nature by artificial method. Cloud seeding on the whole may not be a wise decision according to the above-mentioned website.

‘Why don’t we resort to cloud seeding in Bangalore?’ someone wondered in WhatsApp group, as Bangalore was dry for six months. ‘Where is the cloud for seeding?’ replied another guy spontaneously. True, clouds are almost forgotten in Bangalore.

April 21, 2024May 18, 2024Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Why leopard roams in towns?

Published in Dwarka Express on 21.4.24

Mayiladuthurai is a small town in Tamil Nadu. It has been on news in recent times. It is because a leopard has been spotted in CCTV footages. No one knows how a leopard has entered in that town though Forest department is leaving no stone unturned to capture the animal alive. In the meantime, there was panic in nearby towns including the city of Thanjavur. Animals entering a civic society is not a new thing. Interestingly its sighting in a town which is nowhere close to the jungles is the suspense of the story. It was first spotted on 2^nd April in the town. Despite tremendous efforts by Forest officials, the leopard has been elusive and not traceable till 11^thApril. Suddenly it was reported that the animal was spotted in CCTV in a small village called Ponparappi. Forest officials rushed to the village but no pug mark was seen anywhere. Later another message reached the department that the animal has moved to Sendurai, another village. It is surprising that the animal is not traceable. We cannot blame the Forest departments since they are making the best efforts.

It is not a new thing that an elephant, a tiger or a leopard sneak into a nearby residential settlements or colonies. Normally in such cases, either the forest will be in the vicinity or the affected area is an encroached one. The later one is true in many cases in general. We often forget that jurisdictions and borders are made for our convenience and animals do not have any idea about that. When an elephant crosses over its assigned territory, we blame forest department, Government and politicians without realising that it is we who decided the living areas for animals and we never consulted the animals. Forest department is left with no option except to burst crackers or shoot the animals to ensure safety of the human beings. People may have forgotten the November 2023 episode in Bangalore when a leopard from nearby Bannerghatta forests has sneaked into Bangalore city area, it succumbed to a bullet, after an attempt to dart the big cat failed. The forest department claimed that the leopard was ‘aggressive’ and ‘killing’ was a last resort. Social media was fuming in favour of the big cat. Environmentalists were on their toes and highly critical of the whole episode. But it is also true that the local residents heaved a sigh of relief. The whole episode was set to rest. People have a great disease called ‘amnesia’. Life goes on as usual even after any big crisis. Corana is one such event, which is now a history. It is suspected by forest department of Thanjavur that the big cat in Mayiladuthurai might have travelled from Ariyalur along river banks of Cauvery and reached Mayiladuthurai. And it is also believed that the big cat returned to Ariyalur in the same route. The nearest forest area appears to be Nagoor reserve forest, Puliyancholai reserve forest, a part of the Kolli hills. It is still a mystery how it could have travelled more than 100 KMs from a reserve forest without being noticed by anyone. All said and done, even after two weeks, no one knows, wherefrom it came and where it had gone. Will forest departments investigate the entire episode? (Representative picture from Wikipedia)

‘Great Indian Bustard’ or ‘Green Energy’

April 15, 2024May 18, 2024Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Published in Dwarka Express on 14.4.24

Who cares Great Indian Bustards (GIB)? It is almost extinct and just about 150 birds are left out. Maybe the research community is cared, for submitting papers on the status or a few nature lovers may cry that the bird should exist for posterity. How many of us are thinking of the extinct birds namely white-rumped vulture or lesser adjutant stork or Nicobar pigeon. Forget these unfamiliar names. What about our House Sparrows? Many of us do not even remember how a sparrow looks like. Kids search google to do a school project on sparrow. When that is the case for sparrows, who knows how a GIB looks like? Interestingly, GIB is the state bird of Rajasthan and deserves special status for conservation.

But the story is different in Supreme Court. The court is forced to strike a balance between green energy and bird conservation. And that too, when India is committed to ZERO EMISSION by 2070. Last week, Supreme Court was on the reverse gear to revisit its 2019 decision 2019 decision restricted overhead transmission of solar and other renewable energy in GIB area of 90000 Sq km. This will impede the ambitious renewable energy capacity of 450 gigawatts by 2030. SC in 2019 suggested underground cables in this area but the task of laying underground cables is near impossible.

Now there is a catch 22 situation. Whether to save GIBs or produce green energy? Court now considers the green energy over GIBs. Logically it may sound correct. But as usual the victims are going to be the voiceless creatures. SC has appointed a 7-member experts committee to determine the core area of GIB. The committee is expected to submit its findings by July 24. While Green energy is the need of the hour, we hope that certain justification will also be available to the Rajasthan’s state bird. (Picture source: Wikipedia online)