TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Assessment and Application of Technology Agency (BPPT) resumed the Weather Modification Technology or TMC program in a bid to reduce rainfall in the Greater Jakarta area on Sunday, January 5.

The operation preparation was hampered by heavy rains that fell on Sunday morning, including in Halim Perdanakusuma airport area located in East Jakarta, which is the TMC Command Post.

The cloud seeding program on the potential rain clouds is carried out so that the rain will shower other regions before reaching the Greater Jakarta area or Jabodetabek.

BPPT's Head of Weather Modification Technology Center (BBTMC) Tri Handoko Seto said the weather constrained his team in preparing for the artificial rain operation on the third day.

The cloud seeding using salt or Sodium Chloride (NaCl) to the potential rain clouds could be taken earlier if the rainfall did not occur in Jakarta. "We will continue this (TMC operation), but the clouds have come first to Jakarta so that the preparation is interrupted," Seto said on Sunday.

BPPT conducted the TMC operations with teams from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), and the Indonesian Air Force (AU).

Since January 3, 2020, the artificial rain operation had been carried out through the TMC Command Post at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, East Jakarta.

ERWIN PRIMA