New Delhi's air quality has been in a downward spiral. The AQI has sharply increased over the last two weeks, prompting authorities to take action. Now, the Delhi government is turning to cloud seeding.
Invented in the 1940s, countries have been seeding clouds for decades to alleviate drought, fight forest fires and even to disperse fog at airports.
Is cloud seeding effective?
Yes, rain can reduce air pollution levels. But only temporarily. Overwhelming evidence says that pollution levels go back up within a day or two. While this may be able to mitigate the recent damage, reports say it is not suited to reverse it.
Cloud seeding depends on natural clouds; it can’t create them. Research on the effects of cloud seeding is mixed.
Just days after Diwali, authorities conducted a test run. A Cessna light aeroplane was deployed over the city's northern Burari area. It is unclear whether salt or other chemicals were used.
Now, a full-scale execution is pending. New Delhi's Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has said that the smog-filled capital will experience its first artificial rain on October 29 if conditions remain favourable.
New Delhi and its sprawling metropolitan region -- home to more than 30 million people -- are regularly ranked among the world's most polluted capitals, with acrid smog blanketing the skyline each winter.
Cooler air traps pollutants close to the ground, creating a deadly mix of emissions from crop burning, factories and heavy traffic.
A study in The Lancet Planetary Health last year estimated 3.8 million deaths in India between 2009 and 2019 were linked to air pollution.
The government's Commission of Air Quality Management said air quality is expected to further deteriorate in the coming days if conditions for cloud seeding are not favourable.
It also implemented a set of measures to curb pollution levels, including asking authorities to ensure uninterrupted power supply to reduce the use of diesel generators.
