IPOH, July 21 — Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said it is not the right time to carry out cloud seeding despite the rapidly falling water level at Bukit Merah Dam, which now threatens nearby padi fields due to the prolonged dry weather.

Saarani said that the current wind conditions are too unpredictable, which could result in rainfall missing the targeted area.

“I’ve been informed that the Meteorological Department has advised against conducting cloud seeding at this time because the wind direction is uncertain.

“They cannot confirm whether the rain will fall into Bukit Merah Lake. If it doesn’t, the effort would be in vain,” he said at a press conference after attending the Meet the Customers’ Day programme at Stadium Indera Mulia here.

Saarani added that the state government is cautious not to repeat the mistake made in 2022, when cloud seeding resulted in rainfall over residential areas instead of the Bukit Merah reservoir, leading to public dissatisfaction.

“For that reason, we can’t simply proceed with cloud seeding without expert advice from technical departments and relevant ministries, including the Meteorological Department.

“I was also informed that the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) has taken the initiative to assess whether cloud seeding is currently feasible,” he said.

Saarani said the state government is now focusing on alternative measures, such as channeling water from nearby rivers that have not yet dried up.

He also expressed hope that the Federal Government would expedite the project to divert water directly from the Perak River to Bukit Merah Lake.

“This is a very technical issue, and the problem of drying dams and rivers occurs almost every year. We sincerely hope the Federal Government can accelerate the project.

“Initially, the request was solely to resolve irrigation issues in northern Perak. But after Penang submitted a similar request, the entire initiative was bundled together.

“So now, it’s not just about diverting water from the Perak River to Bukit Merah, but also about establishing a Water Treatment Plant to provide clean water to residents in northern Perak, with the surplus to be sold as treated water to Penang,” he said.

It was reported that persistent heat and lack of consistent rainfall over the past few months has caused the areas surrounding the dam to become dry and barren.

The situation has also affected padi fields, which have dried up due to the drought, while local inland fishermen have been forced to halt operations as their boats are now stranded and unable to reach open water.