14 DAY TRIAL // High officials in Indonesia are determined to curb the air pollution caused by wildfires presently burning in Sumatra.
Since firefighters and so-called water-bombing helicopters have thus far failed to put out the forest fires or at least keep them from advancing, the Indonesian government is now looking into the possibility of stimulating rainfall by seeding clouds with salt.
Mongabay reports that the cloud-seeding scheme will cost the country approximately $10 million (€7.67 million).
The presence of salt in clouds is expected to increase condensation and foster rainfall, the same source explains.
Once they start seeding clouds, workers will most likely continue to do so until late September or early October, when the dry season comes to an end.
Meanwhile, Indonesian authorities are trying to identify and prosecute the people responsible for starting out these fires.
According to a statement issued by Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan, 14 people have thus far been placed under investigation.