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Is the dry spell in Gampaha man-made?

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9 March 2017 12:50 am - 0     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Dry weather prevailed in many areas in the country during the recent weeks. According to the data released by the Disaster Management Centre, nearly one million people in about 14 districts are said to have been affected by this drought. Specialists in the Agro-Meteorologist Department of Agriculture predicted a food crisis. They said it was due to a result of change in the climate. However, the dry spell in Gampaha is said to be caused by a man-made phenomenon.   


Accordingly, word had been spreading among residents in Negombo, Opatha, Kotugoda and Katunayake that the clearing of clouds using helicopters had resulted in the drying of wells and canals in some areas in the Gampaha District. The temperature in these areas, particularly in Katunayake, has been high during the past few days, around 30 degrees c.   


M. Perera, a worker at a factory in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone, said he too had heard this rumour. “I have been hearing about this for some time since the work on the runway of the Bandaranaike International Airport began. However, we have been experiencing some light showers during the past few days,” he said.   


K.P. Sandeep, a resident of Opatha had also heard the story of the clouds being pushed away by aircraft after the work on the runway project began, from his fellow villagers. “They said some chemical was being sprayed by a helicopter but I have not come across anyone who saw the helicopter,” he said. He added that there were some showers in his area on Monday, February 27.  


A catholic nun who did not wish to be named said people in Seeduwa, where her convent was located, had related the same story. “People in my area say this has resulted in the dry spell.” According to her, another interesting phenomenon was taking place in the area; a change of weather in different areas in one single locality. “Recently I noticed that it was not raining in my convent garden but that it was raining heavily less than a kilometre away. People say this happens as a result of pushing away clouds by spraying chemicals at them,” she added.  


Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Aviation Nihal Somaweera said his ministry had not given any permission to the Airport Aviation Authority to carry out such an action to date. “The Airport and Aviation Authority has not sought the permission of the ministry to carry out such a move” he said.   


Meanwhile, the Department of Meteorology said many parts of the country, including the Gampaha District, would experience rains in the coming days. The department said cloudy skies along with showers or thundershowers could be expected in most parts of the country. Showers above 100mm are expected in some places, especially in the Eastern, Uva, Southern, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North Central provinces. “The sea area off the coast from Galle to Trincomalee via Hambanthota, Pottuvil and Batti and the sea area off the coast extending from Colombo to Mannar via Puttalam can be rough during thundershowers due to the temporary increase of wind speed up to 55 to 60 kmph,” the Department forecast added.  


A spokesman from the Department of Meteorology who was commenting on the pushing of clouds said such technology did exist. The spokesman, who is a duty forecaster, said it was very costly and that a country like Sri Lanka could not afford it.   


This kind of technology has been discussed by scientists as far back as 2008 and had been attempted during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when chemicals were apparently fired into the sky to disperse clouds for the opening ceremony.  


Scientists have said lasers could be used to guarantee a cloudless sky. Swiss researchers have succeeded in using the technology in lab tests to create cloud formation. In theory, it could be used to trigger rainfall far out at sea or over uninhabited land – and keep it away from a major event.   


The technique has also been used to control lightning, with the long-term aim of diverting it away from built-up areas. Known as cloud ‘seeding’, it was pioneered in the US in the 1940s and involves inducing rain by firing silver iodide or dry ice into a cloud, simulating the natural salt, dust and other tiny particles in the atmosphere that help water droplets form, according to a foreign report published in 2013. There were also reports that Russia too had used these methods.    There have been reports that Sri Lanka was trying to do the opposite in 2012. The media at the time reported that the previous government was attempting to use Chinese technology to bring about artificial rains. There were reports published in the media in 2012, quoting the-then Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, that Sri Lanka was seeking Chinese assistance to generate artificial rains. The then minister was reported as saying this in Koggala and that it was in order to avoid a drought which was expected at the time. However, Sri Lanka failed to avoid the drought as such a situation was observed around the country, which even reduced the paddy harvest, causing the government to import rice.   


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