North Sumatra Weather Modification Dissipates 56 Tons of Seeding Material to Control Rainfall

JAKARTA - The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has deployed a Weather Modification Operation (OMC) in North Sumatra Province (Sumut) with a total use of seeding materials reaching 56 tons to control rainfall in flood-affected areas and landslides.

Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, explained that OMC is one of the main mitigation steps to reduce the potential for subsequent heavy rains that can aggravate the impact of disasters and hinder the emergency handling process.

OMC is carried out by operating two aircraft from December 7-16, 2025 which is focused on areas with high rainfall intensity and priority areas for disaster management.

"The total amount of seed material used reached 56,000 kilograms (56 tons). This operation is aimed at reducing rainfall so that search and rescue activities, access recovery, and logistics distribution can run more safely," said Abdul as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, December 17.

According to him, rainfall control is very needed because some of the affected areas are still prone to landslides and river overflows, especially in Central Tapanuli Regency, South Tapanuli and its surroundings.

As the OMC is carried out, BNPB notes that the impact of the disaster in North Sumatra is still quite large, with 360 people dead and 21,579 refugees spread across a number of districts and cities.

Abdul explained that OMC is part of the integrated handling strategy during the emergency response period, which is carried out simultaneously with the construction of emergency bridges, the preparation of temporary housing, and the distribution of logistical assistance.

In addition, search and rescue (SAR) operations are still taking place in several priority sectors. Meanwhile, more than 100 heavy equipment has also been deployed to clean up landslides, normalize rivers, and restore road access.

BNPB ensures that cross-ministerial, agency, and regional government coordination continues to be strengthened so that weather control and disaster management efforts in North Sumatra can run optimally until the conditions gradually recover.