He said the main reason was to increase water levels for agricultural and domestic use in the Bukit Merah and Muda Dams, in Perak and Kedah, respectively.

Referring to data from the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) on Friday, Zahid noted that the current level of the Muda dam is at 9.44%, while the Bukit Merah dam stands at 15.25%.

“This is part of the government’s strategy to mitigate the impact of the hot weather phenomenon and the southwest monsoon, which is expected to continue until the end of September 2024,” he said in a statement.

Zahid, who is also the central disaster management committee chairman, said the cloud seeding is being carried out following requests by the Muda agricultural development authority, the Kerian integrated agricultural development area, and the Kedah water resources board.

It is being coordinated by the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), the agriculture and food security ministry, the meteorological department and the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

Currently, water from the Muda dam is being channelled to the Pedu dam in Kedah to meet domestic, industrial, and padi irrigation needs, Zahid said.

He said the Muda area is Malaysia’s largest rice bowl at 100,641.19ha, with 81,606.66ha in Kedah and 19,034.53ha in Perlis.

In comparison, the padi fields in Kerian, which receive water from the Bukit Merah dam, constitute the third-largest rice bowl, covering 20,326ha.