The Karnataka government has constituted two high-level committees to oversee and guide its cloud seeding programme, launched in response to deficient monsoon rainfall across most parts of the state this year. An official statement from the Ministry of Water Resources confirmed the development on Saturday, 29 August, outlining the structure and mandate of both panels.

The Two Committees and Their Roles

The first panel, the Monitoring Committee, will be responsible for overall supervision, monitoring, and periodic review of the cloud seeding programme. It will be headed by the Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner and will have six members, including senior officials from the Water Resources Department, Revenue Department (Disaster Management), Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, and Agriculture Department. The Managing Director of the Karnataka Irrigation Corporation Limited will serve as Member Secretary.

The second panel, the Technical Advisory and Evaluation Committee, will provide scientific guidance and recommendations to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC). Chaired by the KSNDMC Director, the committee has eight members, a Member Secretary, and a special invitee. Its membership draws from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre, and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune — with the IITM representative required to be of at least Joint Director rank.

Academic expertise is also represented: Professor Nagesh Kumar of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and retired professor G.S. Bhat are among the members, alongside H.S. Prakash Kumar, former Engineer-in-Chief of the Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, and the Chief Environmental Officer of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. Sanjeev Sangami, Head of the Department of Civil Engineering at Jain College of Engineering, Belagavi, has been appointed as special invitee. The Chief Engineer of the Malaprabha Project Zone of Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited (KNNL) will serve as Member Secretary.

Budget and Implementing Agencies

Administrative approval has been granted for an estimated ₹28.52 crore, excluding GST, for the cloud seeding programme. The programme will be jointly implemented by the KNNL under the Water Resources Department and the KSNDMC under the Revenue Department.

The government has decided to procure cloud seeding services through Kyathi Climate Modification Consultants LLP, which has been granted an exemption from the provisions of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act for this purpose — a step that is likely to draw scrutiny given standard procurement norms.

Context: A Deficient Monsoon Season

Karnataka has recorded below-normal rainfall across most districts this monsoon season, placing pressure on reservoirs, agricultural output, and drinking water supply. Cloud seeding — a weather modification technique that disperses substances such as silver iodide into clouds to induce rainfall — has been deployed in India in the past, including by states such as Maharashtra and Telangana, with mixed documented outcomes. This is Karnataka's structured attempt to operationalise the intervention at scale, backed by a formal governance framework.

What Happens Next

With both committees now in place and funding approved, the focus shifts to operational rollout. The Technical Advisory Committee will guide target zone selection and scientific protocols, while the Monitoring Committee will track outcomes. Whether the programme delivers measurable rainfall enhancement in deficit areas will be closely watched by both agricultural communities and climate researchers.