Jakarta, IO – The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) will employ technology to make artificial rain in Jakarta. This is part of the short-term solution as the city is reeling under worsening air pollution.
BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center head Abdul Muhari said that apart from Jakarta, weather modifications will also be carried out in Bandung and Semarang.
“We have started to do it with the President’s directive regarding air quality condition not only in Jakarta, but also in Bandung and Semarang from August 19-21,” Abdul said, per Kompas, Tuesday (22/8).
Through the technology, it is hoped that it will rain at least two to three times a week. He pointed out that the impact of the pollution will be more pronounced during the peak of the dry season in August to September.
In fact, the level of pollution is more or less the same as the beginning of the year until mid-May, where rain fell almost every day. As a result, the public did not seem to notice the significant impact of air pollution.
“Early in the year it was constantly flushed by the rain unlike during the dry season. This is why we really feel the worsening air quality because the pollutants linger,” said Abdul.
Abdul said weather modification has also been hampered due to the lack of rain clouds in some areas, including South Sumatra, Lampung, West Kalimantan and southern part of Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Sulawesi Island from central to south, Papua from central to south, Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara.
“This adverse condition prevents us, for example, when we want to refill reservoirs along Java to ensure the availability of clean water for the community with weather modifications,” explained Aam.
“We know that weather modification can work through cloud seeding. But if there are no clouds, we can’t do it.” (at)