GEORGE TOWN, Aug 29 — The eight cloud seeding operations planned for the water catchment areas of the Teluk Bahang Dam could not be carried out as scheduled, said Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBAPP) chief executive officer Datuk Jaseni Maidinsa.
He said the first series of the cloud seeding operations was scheduled for implementation by the end of August.
He said the cloud seeding operations were supposed to be carried out by a private contractor recommended by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).
“However, on August 24, the private contractor informed the Badan Kawal Selia Air (BKSA) that the cloud seeding operations could not be carried out as scheduled.
“The reason stated by the private contractor is that it has not received the ‘flares’ that are needed for cloud seeding operations,” he told reporters at Teluk Bahang Dam here today.
He explained that the flares were chemical substances which served as condensation nuclei to improve the cloud’s ability to produce rain.
He urged the BKSA to contact MetMalaysia to request for assistance in expediting the implementation of the first series of cloud seeding operations as soon as possible.
“Hopefully the first series can be carried out by September this year,” he added.
Meanwhile, Jaseni said PBAPP would be commissioning a contingency raw water project to refill the Teluk Bahang Dam next month.
He said the project involved diverting raw water from the Sungai Pinang water catchment area near the Titi Kerawang waterfall into the dam.
“This project will allow the Teluk Bahang Dam to tap two raw water resources, namely the Teluk Bahang water catchment area and the Sungai Pinang water catchment area, which is about 8.6km away by road,” he said.
He said the deployment of the contingency project is another component in PBAPP’s overall plan to defend the low effective capacity of the Teluk Bahang Dam until the rainy season arrives.
“As of August 28, the effective capacity of the Teluk Bahang Dam was 16.4 per cent, which is sufficient for 51 days of supply without rain,” he added. — Bernama
