Indian weather scientists are embarking on an ambitious five-year project, Mission Mausam, aimed at mastering weather modification techniques. The goal is to enable controlled enhancement and suppression of rain, hail, and lightning, providing the capability to influence weather conditions for special occasions and mitigate adverse weather impacts.
Under Mission Mausam, researchers will explore artificial rain suppression and enhancement techniques. According to M. Ravichandran, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), initial experiments will focus on cloud simulations in the next 18 months. Full-scale weather modification is projected within five years. For example, scientists could potentially suppress rain during major events like Independence Day celebrations or manage hail during floods.
As part of Mission Mausam, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and other MoES scientific institutions will develop ‘Mausam GPT,’ a chatbot application similar to ChatGPT. This tool will provide users with quick and accurate weather information in both text and audio formats. The technology aims to make weather data more accessible and actionable.
The government has allocated an initial budget of ₹2,000 crore over the next two years for Mission Mausam. This funding will support the creation of an advanced forecasting system, including next-generation radars, satellite systems with enhanced sensors, and high-performance supercomputers. The mission also includes the development of improved Earth system models and a GIS-based Decision Support System for real-time weather data dissemination.
Cloud seeding, a method used to enhance rain, is already in practice in countries like the US, Canada, China, Russia, and Australia. However, cloud suppression techniques remain less developed. Former MoES Secretary Madhavan Rajeevan emphasized the need for further research and investment in weather modification technologies. He noted that while cloud seeding has shown some success, the science and technology behind weather suppression are still evolving.
India has been testing artificial rain-making techniques through pilot projects, including those in Maharashtra. These experiments are part of the Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement Experiment (CAIPEEX), which aims to study cloud microphysics and improve precipitation enhancement methods.
Mission Mausam represents a significant leap towards making India climate-smart and weather-ready, ensuring that extreme weather events and phenomena are better managed and understood.
