KOTA KINABALU, April 4 — After the success of its first cloud seeding exercise last week, the Sabah government will continue the exercise to fight the hot weather season.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said that the government decided to conduct cloud seeding operations to produce rain involving the services and expertise of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).
“The cloud seeding work was carried out at the end of last March, and the approach has yielded positive results. This is our effort and endeavor in facing the drought disaster,” he said after presenting Hari Raya goodies to the health officers and Armed Forces personnel here today.
“We will continue to do from time to time if it will help reduce the burden on water supply in the affected areas in Sabah,” he said, adding that it will also depend on technical advice as not all clouds can be seeded.
The drought here has severely hit several districts, notably Papar, Tawau and Lahad Datu.
A three-day cloud seeding operation conducted beginning last March 28 has shown a 67 per cent success rate in producing rainfall in the targeted areas.
Even the state capital here saw some rainfall following the exercise.
Meanwhile, Hajiji announced the state government’s Hari Raya open house this April 14 will attract a crowd of 20,000 to come to the Sabah International Convention Centre.