Delhi Implements Cloud Seeding Trials to Combat Record Air Pollution Levels

New Delhi:

Two cloud seeding trials aimed at stimulating rainfall were completed over parts of Delhi Tuesday afternoon. However, due to the low moisture content in the clouds—approximately 15 to 20 percent—the chances of precipitation remain minimal, according to NDTV's Science Editor, Pallava Bagla.

The Delhi government established a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Institute of Technology (Kanpur) in September to conduct five trials, all planned for northwest Delhi, with a budget of Rs 3.21 crore.

These five trials can be executed anytime between October 1 and November 30.

IIT (Kanpur) reported seeding a corridor approximately 25 nautical miles (46.3 km) long and four nautical miles (7.4 km) wide, with the greatest distance covered between the neighborhoods of Khekra and Burari. The initial round involved deploying six flares at an altitude of 4,000 feet. The second operation commenced at 3:55 pm, releasing eight flares at a slightly higher elevation of around 5,000 feet.

What is cloud seeding

Cloud seeding involves introducing chemicals such as silver iodide nanoparticles, iodized salt, and dry ice into the atmosphere to induce rainfall. This technique is employed in water-scarce regions or to mitigate hail and dissipate fog. Implementation can occur via airplanes, rockets, or ground-based equipment.

Why Delhi wants artificial rain

The national capital is notorious for its air pollution.

Delhi experiences severe pollution throughout the year, with conditions worsening during winter months when weather patterns combine with smoke from agricultural fires in neighboring states. Toxic emissions from firecrackers during Diwali further compound this hazardous situation.

This season, the Supreme Court relaxed its typically stringent regulations, permitting "controlled" use of "green" firecrackers. However, timing restrictions were widely disregarded and, evidenced by the thick gray haze blanketing the city the morning after Diwali, the mandate for "green" crackers was similarly ignored.

Despite a 77.5 percent reduction in farm fires—a significant contributor to air pollution—the city's Air Quality Index descended to a five-year post-Diwali low. Average PM2.5 levels reached alarming concentrations of 488 micrograms per cubic meter, nearly 100 times the World Health Organization's recommended exposure limit, representing a catastrophic 212 percent increase from pre-Diwali measurements.

This concerning trend has persisted even a week after Diwali.

As of 8 am, the AQI in numerous areas of the city exceeded 300; in south Delhi localities like Siri Fort, it registered at 350. Similar elevated readings were recorded in RK Puram (320), Bawana (336), Burari Crossing (326), Dwarka Sector 8 (316), Mundka (324), Narela (303), and Punjabi Bagh (323).

The polluted atmosphere is reducing residents' life expectancy by an average of 11.9 years compared to World Health Organization guidelines, according to research from the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago.

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