Cloud seeding set in Zambo
The Department of Agriculture in coordination with the City Government will start cloud seeding in Zamboanga this week purposely to induce rain and to minimize effects of the dry spell hitting not only the city but entire country at present.
This, based on the request personally submitted by Mayor Celso Lobregat to Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap as an immediate measure to cushion the effects of the El Nino phenomenon.
Teddy Bersabe, leader of the cloud seeding team tasked to undertake the operation in Zamboanga City and other parts of region 9 yesterday said his group will closely coordinate with the local PAG-ASA to ensure that the activity will be successful.
“Clouds could easily dissipate in the manner of wind direction that’s why we’re closely coordination with PAG-ASA,” Bersabe said. He stressed that the operation will use table salt to induce the rain.
He likewise stressed that cloud seeding does not pose any threats to the environment or to public health as what some people think.
“This is one of the interventions we’re doing. We are doing something positive,” Mayor Lobregat said in a meeting he presided with different stakeholders concerned in the cloud seeding activity yesterday in City Hall.
Lobregat invited representatives from the Zamboanga City Water District (ZCWD), Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (ZAMCELCO), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), PAG-ASA, the media sector and other agencies concerned.
Should the cloud seeding activities be successful, the ZCWD is set to provide its counterpart funds for the holding of more seeding events.
Based on Lobregat’s request, the DA has allocated almost P3 million for the cloud seeding operations in the city and the region.
During the meeting yesterday, it was revealed that the dry spell is causing damage not only to the agriculture sector but also affects the water and power supply not only in Zamboanga City but other parts of Mindanao and the country as well.
The cloud seeding operations is set to start Thursday, March 4. (Sheila Covarrubias)