With haze levels reaching worrying levels in Malaysia, the Johor state government has launched its 61st Cloud Seeding Operation (OPA) to encourage rainfall and help reduce the haze affecting the state.
The operation used a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) C-130 Hercules aircraft carrying eight tonnes of sodium chloride (salt), which departed from the Subang Air Base in Selangor.
Eight tonnes of salt to be released to combat haze in Johor
According to the State Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said the two targeted areas are along the route from Yong Peng to Machap and from Mersing to Kota Tinggi.
He said the joint operation was carried out through the collaboration of various federal agencies to safeguard air quality and the health of Johor residents.
“This is the 61st mission, carried out using a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) C-130 Hercules aircraft that departed from the Subang Air Base in Selangor, carrying eight tonnes of sodium chloride (salt) for cloud seeding.
“For Johor, special focus was given to the areas from Yong Peng to Machap and from Mersing to Kota Tinggi to encourage rainfall, which is expected to help reduce the concentration of haze particles in the air,” he said in a Facebook post.
“Successful cloud seeding requires careful planning”
Tian Soon also joined the cloud seeding flight, alongside representatives from the Malaysian Meteorological Department (METMalaysia), the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) and the RMAF’s No. 20 Squadron, better known as ‘The Rainmaker’.
Sharing his experience, he said the flight gave him a closer look at the expertise and dedication needed to carry out the operation.
He added that successful cloud seeding requires careful planning, coordination between different agencies and suitable weather conditions.
Stay tuned to WORLD OF BUZZ for more updates!
