BENGALURU, Sept. 3 -- Meteorologists and senior officials on Wednesday cast doubts on the veracity of the government's plan to kickstart cloud seeding operations around the end of September at a cost of Rs.28.52 crore to balance out the state's rainfall deficit. Experts cited prevailing meteorological conditions to recommend the exercise's deferment to October, arguing that the atmosphere currently lacks the clouds and moisture needed for the operation.

A senior official from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), who attended a meeting on the proposed operations on Monday, said the state would first have to identify clouds suitable for seeding. There are currently few such formations, the official said, while f...