Cloud seeding in Kedah and Perak starts today

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says the government will carry out cloud seeding in Kedah and Perak for three consecutive days starting today.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the purpose is to increase water levels for agricultural and domestic use in the Bukit Merah and Muda Dams in Perak and Kedah respectively.

Referring to data from the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) on Friday, Ahmad Zahid said the current level of the Muda Dam is at 9.44% while the Bukit Merah Dam stands at 15.25%.

“This is part of the government’s strategy to mitigate the impact of the hot weather phenomenon and the southwest monsoon, which is expected to continue until the end of September,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Central Disaster Management Committee chairman, said cloud seeding is being carried out upon the requests from the Muda Agricultural Development Authority, the Kerian Integrated Agricultural Development Area and the Kedah Water Resources

Board, Bernama reported.

The cloud seeding exercise will be coordinated by the National Disaster Management Agency, the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, the Malaysian Meteorological Department and the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

“Currently, water from the Muda Dam is being channelled to the Pedu Dam in Kedah to meet domestic, industrial and padi irrigation needs,” said Ahmad Zahid.

The Muda area is Malaysia’s largest rice bowl at 100,641.19ha, with 81,606.66ha in Kedah and 19,034.53ha in Perlis.

The padi fields in Kerian, which receive water from the Bukit Merah Dam, constitute the nation’s third largest rice bowl, covering 20,326ha.