TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The joint effort of two government agencies and the Military’s weather modification technology (TMC) is set to commence today on Friday, in hopes of reducing the rain intensity over flood-stricken areas in Jakarta and satellite cities; Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi.

“Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has ordered the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) and Armed Forces (TNI) to immediately commence the program,” said BNPB spokesman Agus Wibowo in yesterday’s press release.

Wednesday’s intense rainfall caused widespread floods which unfortunately led to 30 deaths across the aforementioned regions caused by hypothermia, electrocuted, buried under landslides, and being swept by strong flood currents.

Moreover, the BNPB spokesman said the weather modification operation is set to be divided into 4 flights to conduct cloud seeding over marked areas. The operation will be officially launched at the BPPT headquarters in Central Jakarta.

Not many are aware that altering the weather by cloud seeding had been done in 2013 over the Jakarta Greater Area (Jabodetabek) in 2013 following a widespread flood similar to this year. The cloud seeding at the time used 56.8 tons of salt-like substances.

“The weather modification is able to force-release rainfall before the clouds enter Jakarta,” said former BNPB spokesman, the late Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

FAJAR PEBRIANTO