Ahmed Al-Kamal, head of the cloud-seeding team from the United Arab Emirates’ meteorology department, chief pilot Michael Anstis and pilot Col Ubaid called on Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi at his office on Tuesday.
The CM thanked the team members for their endeavors to induce artificial rainfall to reduce smog and expressed gratitude for the UAE’s cooperation, acknowledging it as the first-ever successful attempt at artificial rainfall in Lahore’s history.
Chief Minister Naqvi stated that the Punjab government appreciates the collaboration with the UAE, and reiterated the need for artificial rainfall to combat smog. He assured that further efforts would be made to induce artificial rainfall, once again, when the required atmospheric conditions are met, with the assistance of the UAE team.
Highlighting the success of the first-ever artificial rainfall in Lahore, the CM mentioned that air quality levels remained below 200 for several days. He expressed hope that, with suitable atmospheric conditions in January, artificial rainfall could once again be employed to bring further reduction in smog levels.
The chief minister commended the UAE’s team for their dedication and emphasized that the people of Pakistan will not forget the efforts of the UAE in this crucial initiative. The successful artificial rainfall operation in Lahore now stands as a significant milestone in the history of weather modification, he added. Acknowledging the unparalleled cooperation from the leadership of the United Arab Emirates, Naqvi thanked Ahmed Al-Kamal and his team members. Al-Kamal expressed optimism for another successful artificial rainfall experiment in January, and expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality in Lahore, stating that Pakistan is their second home.
Provincial ministers Amir Mir and Bilal Afzal, weather modification expert Brig. Nadeem, Director General Environment Protection Department, Chief Meteorologist Ch. Muhammad Aslam and CAA’s Senior Joint Director Muhammad Altaf were also present.
