By IANS,
Shimla : The Himachal Pradesh government has floated global tenders to buy anti-hail guns to protect fruit crops from hailstorms, according to state Horticulture Minister Narender Bragta.
“We have floated global tenders for purchasing 40 anti-hail guns and have asked the central government for Rs.27 crore for this,” Bragta told IANS.
“The centre has allowed us to take up the initiative as a pilot project and sanctioned Rs.3 crore,” he said.
The guns, which send shock waves to puncture hail clouds resulting in rain instead of the damaging hail, will be installed in the state in phases. In the first phase, these would be set up in Shimla district, the minister said.
The acetylene-fired anti-hail guns are effective over a radius of 1 km and can cover an area of 80-100 hectares.
Spain-based firm SPAG last year demonstrated its hail control systems comprising guns with radar to the state government.
According to horticulture department estimates, hailstorms damage 20-30 percent of vegetables and fruit crops in the state every year.
“By installing the anti-hail guns, we will able to protect fruit and vegetable crop worth Rs.45-50 crore annually,” Bragta said.
The economy of Himachal Pradesh is highly dependent on horticulture, apart from hydroelectric power and tourism, with the annual fruit industry worth about Rs.2,000 crore.
Fruits like cherry, apple, pear, peach, apricot, kiwi, strawberry, olive, almond and plum are the major commercial crops of the state.
The total fruit production in the state during 2007-08 was 712 million tonnes, out of which apple accounted for 592 million tonnes.