Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H K Patil. File photo
The state government has laid the groundwork for cloud seeding which is likely to begin next week, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H K Patil told journalists here on Tuesday.
The government has allocated Rs 35 crore for cloud seeding and is waiting for clouds to appear in the targeted areas to start the process, he said.
The project has been awarded to Hoysala Projects Pvt Ltd. The government has asked it to target catchment areas so that inflow to dams goes up.
Patil said three imported radars had been installed at Shahpur in Yadgir district, Gadag and Bengaluru.
Allaying farmers’ fears, he said the government would bail them out if the drought-like situation persisted.