Delhi explores artificial rain to combat post-Diwali pollution
The Delhi government has completed two cloud-seeding trials near the airport to address worsening air quality.
The Delhi government has conducted two cloud-seeding trials near the Indira Gandhi International Airport over the last 15 days, according to News18 and Telegraph India. These trials are part of an effort to use artificial rain as a temporary measure to manage rising pollution levels in the capital.
Authorities are currently considering performing cloud-seeding operations on two or three separate occasions in the near future, which may include the Chhath festival. Officials are unlikely to make a formal announcement regarding these plans until after Diwali.
The recent trials were carried out at an altitude of approximately 30,000 metres. This is a significant increase from the 10,000-metre altitude used during last year's cloud-seeding operations.
Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) has approached the 400 mark, with several monitoring stations recording readings in the severe category. A thick haze has been observed across various parts of the city.
The government has been exploring these weather-modification techniques in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. Cloud seeding involves introducing substances like silver iodide or salts into moisture-bearing clouds to encourage precipitation, which can help wash particulate matter from the atmosphere.