CLOUD seeding, to be carried out by the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) at Teluk Bahang Dam and Air Itam Dam near George Town, has been rescheduled to early May, Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBAPP) chief executive officer K. Pathmanathan said.

“The rescheduling of the cloud seeding operation is based on the recommendation of the Malaysian Meteorological Department (METMalaysia), which is in early May when the weather conditions are optimal as large rain clouds are predicted to appear at the right height.

“It is also based on weather conditions and the target areas of the operations: at Air Itam Dam and Teluk Bahang Dam,” he said in a statement today.

Previously, PBAPP said seeding would be carried out from April 29 to May 7.

Pathmanathan said the RMAF aircraft will take off from the RMAF Subang Air Base in Selangor with a PBAPP engineer on board.

He said PBAPP will also monitor the results by recording rainfall in the targeted catchment areas and the effective capacity of the Air Itam Dam and the Teluk Bahang Dam.

“Depending on the results, the state government and PBAPP may apply for more seeding this year and we also appreciate the support of the National Disaster Management Agency, the RMAF, METMalaysia and the state Water Regulatory Authority in organising and speeding up the seeding for Penang,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said the Ayer Itam Dam was 43.6% full yesterday, compared to 82% on January 1, while the Teluk Bahang Dam was 49.1% full, compared with 64% for the same period.

“The prolonged dry season (related to climate change) and the high demand for water in Penang since the beginning of January are the main causes,” he said.

He added that the dams need to be refilled with as much water as possible to avoid a crisis. – Bernama, April 30, 2023.