KUALA LUMPUR: The cloud-seeding operation in Perak has been successful, says Natural Resources and Environment Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup.
In a statement on social media on Thursday (April 9), he said the operation the day before recorded significant success.
"This intervention operation is an ongoing commitment by the ministry through the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), in collaboration with the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).
"The operation is being carried out to address the issue of declining water levels in catchment areas due to dry weather," he said.
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The targeted zones were the Bukit Merah Dam and Temenggor Dam catchment areas.
"This operation was carried out using an RMAF C130-Hercules aircraft which departed from the Subang Air Base.
"The salt spray technique (using sodium chloride) was carried out at an altitude of 5,200 to 7,000ft (1,585m to 2,133m).
"From our observationm this resulted in rainfall detected as early as 3.30pm on Wednesday at the targeted zone.
"At the Bukit Merah Dam, there was rainfall from 6pm Wednesday until 2am Thursday," he said.
He said the data collected showed encouraging rainfall amounts at several stations.
The Lenggong Health Clinic station recorded 84.8mm, the Kuala Gula Radar Station recorded 51.3mm, Hospital Parit Buntar recorded 41.7mm, and the Bersia Power Station recorded 29.3mm.
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"The success of this operation proves the effectiveness of the technology when implemented under suitable conditions.
"Overall, this rainfall successfully covered the main catchment areas for both critical dams," he added.
He also thanked the MetMalaysia and RMAF teams for their dedication in ensuring the sustainability of the country's water resources.
"We will continue to monitor weather conditions from time to time for appropriate follow-up actions," he said.
