Delhi's pollution woes likely to be solved by artificial rain after IIT Kanpur steps in

The residents of Indian capital Delhi and National Capital Region surrounding it may soon get respite fromthe hazardous air they have been breathing at least since the beginning of this month. The Delhi government will attempt to induce artificial rain through cloud seeding this month, Gopal Rai, the environment minister of National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, said on November 8.

Rai said that a meeting with scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur was held to pave way for an artificial rain in Delhi during the beginning of the third week of November.

"Experts anticipate that such conditions could develop around November 20-21. We have asked the scientists to prepare a proposal in this regard which will be submitted to the Supreme Court," the minister added.

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Can artificial rain curb air pollution?

According to Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of the India Meteorological Department, research on artificial rain is yet to make a significant progress.

"There have been a few attempts in India… in Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Globally, research is being conducted on artificial rain, which requires the basic requirement of clouds or moisture. Only under these conditions can it occur," Mohapatra was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.

"Certain nuclei are sprinkled into the clouds to facilitate cloud condensation, leading to rainfall. In India, research on artificial rain is ongoing, but it has not made significant progress so far," Mohapatra added.

Artificial Rain: The Beijing example

The Chinese government has been a top proponent of cloud-seeding technology, and has spent billions of dollars in efforts to manipulate the weather duringsignificant events including the 2008 Olympics.

Beijing launched a two-hour cloud-seeding operation on the eve of the Communist Party’s centenary on July 1, 2021 which resulted ina marked drop in air pollution.

Delhi Pollution: What else is being done?

The hazardous levels of pollution have impacted the lives and lifelines across northern India. As a reactive measure, Delhi government has ordered an early winter break in schools from November 9 to 18 due to deteriorating air quality.

Also watch |India's Supreme Court on Delhi pollution

Besides,the Delhi government had announced the return of the odd-even vehicle rationing scheme for a week beginning November 12, when the already "severe" and "severe plus" air pollution may be expected to get even worse following the Diwali festival.

Delhi governmenthas also banned the entry of radio taxis from other states inside the National Capital Territory.

(With inputs from agencies)