Children play as a motorcyclist and his passenger brave the floodwaters on Jan. 1 in Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta. (Source: Antara) Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia’s Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) plans to use weather modification technology (WMT) in an attempt to divert rain clouds from Greater Jakarta to prevent additional flooding.
National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Agus Wibowo said on January 2 that the BPPT would use WMT to accelerate the process of rainfall so the rain would fall before the clouds reached the capital and surrounding areas.
The BPPT plans to cause the rain to fall in the Sunda Strait or Lampung, but if the wind blows to the east, the rainfall will be directed to dams such as Jatiluhur and Jatigede, Agus said .
He added that the BPPT, along with the BNPB and the Indonesian Military (TNI), would deploy two types of aircraft for the weather modification mission.
Statistics show that as from December 31, floods and landslides in Jakarta and its adjacent areas killed at least 26 people. The bad weather is forecasted to continue until January 7 in the country./.
VNA
