Moscow plans to slash snowfall by one-fifth

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A Russian mayor, known for his unrelenting battles against the rain, is escalating his war on the weather, with plans to slash Moscow's snowfall by one-fifth this winter.

City officials say, Yuri Luzhkov's office will use the Russian air force and air defense systems, to intercept advancing storm fronts, hitting them with dry ice and silver iodine particles.

The move aims to reduce snowfall that clogs the Russian capital's frigid streets, costing the city millions of dollars.

The plan will see snow dumped on villages and satellite towns on the outskirts of Moscow.

Estimates for the war on snow are nearing 180 million rubbles. The city is justifying the move, saying the cost of snow removal is more 300 million rubbles.

However, there has been opposition to the anti-snow plan from environmentalists and local residents.

Ivan Blokov, Campaign Director, Greenpeace Russia, said, "It is a very obvious answer that you need to interfere in minimal extent where you can do it, because by any interference with nature, you are causing certain changes and consequent damage to the nature."

Moscow Resident, said, "It's going to be costly and take a large part of the budget, which is a very strange choice, because we're dealing with an economic crisis."

On an average year, Moscow gets covered by more than 60 centimeters of snow. The city is forced to maintain a massive system to deal with the harsh weather. Its anti snow arsenal includes 50-thousand street sweepers, more than 58 hundred trucks, and 27 snow-melting incinerators.