In September, the central government approved the Mausam mission. The project, which will cost around Rs 20 crore over two years, will not only provide information on weather changes but will also be able to control the weather to a certain extent. The plan would be to build a cloud chamber. The production of the chamber is being handled by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune. But what is this cloud chamber and how does it work? Can the weather really be controlled?
What is a cloud chamber and how does it work?
A cloud chamber will be a closed drum, like a cylinder or tube, filled with vapor and aerosols (very small water droplets). Humidity and temperature will be controlled within this drum-like structure to allow cloud formation. Many countries have cloud chambers, which are at the basic level. However, India is trying to build such a cloud chamber, which can not only rain rainfall but also study Indian monsoon clouds.
The chamber will have convective properties. This is a process in which hot air rises upward and cold air moves downward. This is how clouds are formed. This process is done manually in a convective cloud chamber. Few countries in the world have such advanced chambers because they are very expensive to build and control. Currently the United States, Switzerland, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and China have this system.
Why does the country need it?
In cloud physics, cloud behavior is understandable. How clouds behave during the rainy season, or changes in extreme conditions can cause thunderstorms. Cloud bursting is also included. Weather modification can also be accomplished through cloud chambers. It is expected that within the next two years, scientists will be able to create very advanced systems that can be kept indoors.
What happened to cloud seeding
In cloud seeding, the focus is solely on creating clouds. In terms of seeding, we have a special plan here – cloud aerosols and participation in enhanced experiments. The experiment was carried out in four phases over a decade. The final phase of work is taking place in Solapur, Maharashtra. Solapur tends to experience less rainfall. At this stage, it was discovered that artificial rainfall could provide good rainfall in specific areas. Rainfall can be increased by about 46%, but there are many restrictions.
What is Mausam Mission?
Under this, next-generation radars and satellites will be built that can completely predict or correct weather. A complete weather monitoring infrastructure will be created that can not only predict the weather but also modify it. For example, places with less rainfall or more storms can be controlled. This is a very large project in which the Indian Meteorological Department, the National Center for Medium-range Weather Forecasts and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology are also involved.
Are there laws agreeing to control the weather?
There is controversy over who first started controlling the weather. If Russia accuses the United States, then the United States will accuse Russia. By the way, most countries attack the United States. In August 1953, the country established the President’s Advisory Committee on Weather Control. The committee wants to understand how weather modification is done so it can be used in the national interest.
This was talked about publicly in the fifties. Small-scale experiments have even been conducted to show how sunny days can cause dust storms, or how melting snow can cause floods. The United States was bragging about this power when Russia (then the Soviet Union) also entered the fray. Its scientists demonstrated increases or decreases in Pacific water temperatures. Since then, the United States and Russia have begun to fight among themselves. Many countries have now joined the race. Even weather control is considered necessary to some extent.
No work outside the home
While there is much controversy surrounding weather modification, arguing that states can misuse it, if it is used domestically, other countries will not object. In order to ensure that no country can bring disaster to the surrounding environment through modern technology, the Environmental Modification Convention was formulated in 1977, which prohibits the use of weather as a weapon. The international treaty has warned against this many times.
