Penang to conduct cloud seeding until May 7

PBAPP CEO says state govt approves RM400,000 allocation for operations

(The Vibes) – For the third consecutive year, Penang is forced to undertake cloud seeding to boost water supply.

The Penang Water Authority Holdings (PBAPP) said cloud seeding with the help of the  Royal Malaysian Air Force will begin this Saturday for a week until May 7 to fill water catchment areas in the Air Itam and Teluk Bahang dams.

PBAPP chief executive officer K. Pathmanathan in a statement said that Meteorological Department has recommended the dates for cloud seeding to maximise weather conditions that will help induce heavy rainfall over the target areas.

The Air Itam Dam has seen its water capacity drop by 37.7% since January 1, and the Teluk Bahang Dam by 15.4% in the same four-month period, attributed to low rainfall and high water demand in the state.

Penang had also approved a RM400,000 budget to fund the cloud seeding operations, Pathmanathan said.

The RMAF aircraft that will be deployed for the cloud seeding operations will take off from the Subang Air Base in Selangor.

Pathmanathan also urged Penang households to use water wisely. A key water saving technique is to use a bucket instead of a hose when washing the car, porch or driveway, and to also wash vehicles less frequently.

Last year, 61.5% of Penang’s total water consumption of 868 million litres per day (MLD) was due to domestic water consumption.

In February this year, total water consumption in the state spiked further to an average of 944 MLD.