Heavy rainfall in the Greater Jakarta region, encompassing Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Bekasi, and Tangerang, has caused river overflows, submerging several residential areas by 1 to 4 meters. The region has been hit by rain for several days.
At a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday, BNPB head Suharyanto said that weather modification operations involve dispersing salt (NaCl) into potential clouds using aircraft.
The weather modification in Greater Jakarta is scheduled to take place over four days, from March 4 to March 8, 2025.
Caravan 208B aircraft, bearing the registration number PK-SNP, started cloud seeding at an altitude of 8 thousand to 11 thousand feet on Tuesday. They took off from the weather modification operation post at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, Jakarta.
The first sortie was carried out from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. WIB. It was followed by a second sortie from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and a final sortie was scheduled from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m..
A total of one ton of salt raw material was to be dispersed during each sortie.
Suharyanto expressed the hope that the weather modification operation would help reduce rainfall in the flood-affected Greater Jakarta region and redirect it to safer areas, such as nearby seas.
"This operation will be carried out in accordance with the established weather predictions," he added.
Suharyanto further emphasized that the BNPB, along with other relevant agencies, is committed to prioritizing public safety and assisting local governments during the emergency response phase and transition to recovery.
The assistance includes providing equipment support and ensuring that the basic needs of flood-affected communities are met optimally.
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Translator: Kuntum Khaira Riswan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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