The rainfall in west MP is deficient by 28 per cent and that in east MP, it is deficient by 21 per cent. If the situation does not improve in this land-locked, there may be water stress condition in the state, said the deputy director-general, SR Kalsi.

The area coverage under rice, jowar, maize, soyabean, pulses is so far better in the current year than that in the like period last year. The standing crops will require adequate rains for its sustainence.

But when questioned should IMD take up the `cloud seedings' experiments for enhancing rains in the region as being conducted in Pakistan, Kalsi refused to comment. Not only Kalsi, but several officials of the IMD, including the director-general, RR Kelkar refused to comment on the Pakistan experiment.

Regarding the possible effect of the Pakistan experiment on the monsoon rains in India, Kalsi had told The Financial Express earlier that it would `apparently' have no adverse effects as these are carried out on a localised scale. But many met experts said that as the cloud seeding experiments are being carried out close to the Indian border, there are chances that clouds from India may gravitate more to these centres and move further into Pakistan causing more rains there. This is possible as southwest monsoon clouds enter Pakistan from India.

Comparatively, the director-general of PMD, Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry is reported to have told a Pakistani daily that these experiments are `environmentally safe' and causes no effect on regional weather as a negligible amount of moisture, one to two per cent, is extracted from the clouds.

IMD officials stated that India had earlier conducted clouds seeding experiments in late 60s to early 70s and results were not encouraging. In late 60s experiments were carried out in Jaipur and Agra and in early 70s in Rehan catchment areas and Amravati.

Comparatively the PMD has claimed that their `cloud seeding' experiments have proved successful and kharif crop prospects in Pakistan are bright.

Twenty four cloud seeding experiments were conducted in the first two months of the current monsoon out of which 15 were successful. First experiment was conducted on June 21 in Fatehjang when light rains were received after one hour of the experiment. On July 1, two operations were conducted over Thar desert and rains started three hours after cloud seeding and continued intermittently for a few hours. Chachro and Nagarparkar recorded 30 mm rains.

On July 13, experiments were again carried out in Thar desert and after few hours Nagaparker received 45 mm rains, Chachro 32 mm rains, Mithi 28 mm rains, Diplo 27 mm rains and Chhor 19 mm rains. Successful experiments were also carried out at Khuzdar and Bhawalpur.

PMD's experiments are assisted by the Pakistan ministries of defence and civil aviation and department of plant protection. All the regional and field operational centres, including the main operational centre at Islamabad set up by PMD are are equipped with satellite ground equipment and qualified staff. Cloud seeding is done from aircrafts, rockets, cannons and ground generators. Effective substances like solid carbon dioxide and silver iodide are sprayed over supercooled clouds which form nuclei around which raindrops coalesce.