GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government will pay and conduct cloud seeding operations with the assistance of the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MET Malaysia) to ensure adequate water supply at six key dams here and in neighbouring Kedah.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said he had received a response from MET Malaysia today that it would only provide technical expertise services.
“So for the sake of the 3.95 million people in Penang and Kedah who need constant water supply to maintain personal hygiene, more so during this Covid-19 pandemic, the Penang government is committed to conduct and fund the cloud seeding efforts.
“We hope that this can be done immediately for the health and safety of the people,” he said today.
Earlier today, Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) chief executive officer Datuk Jaseni Maidinsa had said that Penang had urgently requested the MET Malaysia to conduct cloud seeding in order to induce more rainfall in the two states.
He had said this was because the effective capacities of six key dams in Penang and Kedah was low, due to abnormally dry weather since the second half of last year.
The effective capacities of these dams as of yesterday was 33.3 per cent for Air Itam dam; Teluk Bahang dam (20.9 per cent); Mengkuang dam (68.3 per cent); Muda dam (4.4 per cent); Beris dam (39.6 per cent) and Pedu dam (33.4 per cent).
Chow said the state government had written to MET Malaysia and the Water and Environment Ministry on March 5 and April 10 respectively to request that cloud seeding be conducted in Penang and Kedah due to dwindling water levels.
MET Malaysia’s reply, in a letter dated April 14, which the state government received today, stated that the department was ready to cooperate to conduct cloud seeding in the northern region as long as the atmosphere was suitable.
MET Malaysia normally uses the dry seeding method to conduct cloud seeding.
Based on the state's previous record, cloud seeding exercise involves a cost of RM27,000 daily.