Saturday, 24 October 2026
DELISERDANG | INDATANEWS.COM - The North Sumatra Provincial Government has launched a weather modification operation to trigger rainfall and reduce haze caused by forest and land fires in several areas. The initial focus is on Medan, Binjai, Deli Serdang and surrounding areas. The operation will subsequently be extended to other locations, depending on atmospheric conditions.
North Sumatra Deputy Governor Surya officially authorised the departure of a Cessna aircraft, also known as Capung, for the weather modification operation on Friday afternoon, 16 October 2026, at the cargo terminal of Kualanamu International Airport in Deli Serdang. Governor Muhammad Bobby Afif Nasution had ordered the operation as one of the measures to address the impact of forest and land fires.Before the aircraft departed, Surya inspected the loading of sodium chloride (NaCl), which would be dispersed at certain altitudes to seed clouds. The procedure is intended to encourage rainfall and thereby help reduce the haze that has disrupted residents' daily lives.
"Following the Governor's instructions, Medan, Binjai, Deli Serdang and the surrounding areas have been designated as the initial operational targets. The operation will subsequently be extended to other regions," the Deputy Governor said after authorising the flight.The operation is a priority for the provincial government because the haze threatens not only residents' quality of life and health but also air transport. The government hopes that rainfall will help mitigate the effects of the smoke and restore normality to people's daily activities.
Surya explained that the government had selected Medan, Binjai, Deli Serdang and surrounding areas as the first targets for weather modification. Further flights to other regions will be planned according to changing weather conditions and the availability of suitable clouds for seeding.
According to Surya, haze in several parts of North Sumatra has reduced visibility, affecting operations at Kualanamu International Airport. Over the previous two days, several flights had been delayed because of poor visibility.The disruption to air traffic demonstrates that the consequences of forest and land fires extend beyond communities living near the affected areas. Smoke can also disrupt transport links and the mobility of people who rely on air travel.
The provincial government is therefore seeking to mitigate the effects more quickly through weather modification. However, the operation's success depends on atmospheric conditions, particularly the availability of suitable clouds for seeding.
Surya stressed that cloud seeding could not be carried out at will. The aircraft must first locate suitable clouds before sodium chloride can be dispersed. As a result, it is not always possible to fly directly to the areas originally designated as targets.
"We had initially hoped that the aircraft could fly over Medan and its surrounding areas and disperse sodium chloride powder (NaCl) there. However, it is not that straightforward, because the aircraft must first identify suitable clouds before the NaCl powder can be released," Surya explained.These conditions require the operation to be adjusted flexibly to the actual weather situation on the ground. Although the government has identified priority areas, the flight crew must still assess whether the clouds are suitable for seeding. This assessment is essential to give the operation a realistic chance of successfully stimulating rainfall.
Surya expressed hope that the weather modification would produce rain and help reduce the haze. The government also expects the operation to ease health risks for residents and limit the impact of deteriorating air quality on everyday activities."On the Governor's instructions, we are deploying the aircraft twice a day to disperse NaCl powder. We hope this measure will effectively eliminate the haze caused by forest and land fires," he said.
The North Sumatra Provincial Government plans to conduct two flights daily throughout the operation. This schedule is intended to provide additional opportunities for cloud seeding whenever atmospheric conditions permit.
Tuahta Saragih, head of the North Sumatra Regional Disaster Management Agency, explained that the weather modification operation was initially scheduled to run for three days. Each flight would carry approximately one tonne of sodium chloride and last around two hours.
By conducting two flights a day, the government aims to carry out cloud seeding regularly throughout the operation. However, the results will continue to depend on atmospheric conditions and the availability of suitable clouds.The operation forms part of the provincial government's efforts to mitigate the impact of haze caused by forest and land fires. The authorities hope that rainfall will improve air quality and reduce the burden on public health, mobility and economic activity.
Weather modification is also part of the official response to a disaster situation whose consequences have extended into the transport sector. Flight delays caused by reduced visibility highlight the importance of tackling the haze swiftly and through coordinated action.However, weather modification alone will not be enough to resolve the problem permanently. Tackling existing fire hotspots and preventing further forest and land fires remain essential to reducing the risk of renewed smoke pollution.
Through the three-day operation, the North Sumatra Provincial Government hopes to trigger rainfall in the worst-affected priority areas and lower smoke concentrations. Air quality is also expected to improve gradually, allowing residents to resume their daily activities under safer conditions and reducing disruption to air traffic caused by poor visibility.Further measures and any possible expansion of the operational area will depend on weather conditions and the results of cloud seeding at the designated locations. (IDNC)
REPORTER: Ahmad Zulfikar | EDITOR: Fik Sagala
