Artificial rain in Delhi to control the pollution

On the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, various parts of Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, and neighbouring regions of the National Capital Region were blessed with light rainfall, providing a much-needed break from the harmful air quality in the NCR. To combat the worsening Air Quality Index (AQI) in Noida, some residents have resorted to wearing masks for protection against pollution and smog. The timely showers in Delhi coincide with the city government’s preparations to initiate artificial rain on November 20-21 via cloud seeding, aimed at addressing the severe air pollution. While the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) noted an average AQI of 462 (severe) in Delhi’s Anand Vihar, there was an improvement to the ‘moderate’ category on Friday morning. In a recent development, the Delhi government has taken the decision to cover the entire cost of the artificial rain endeavours to combat the hazardous air pollution in the city. The chief secretary has been directed to present the government’s stance before the Supreme Court on Friday, as reported by news agency PTI. Pending support from the Center, the Delhi government aims to execute the initial phase of artificial rain by November 20. Following a meeting with the team from IIT-Kanpur, Rai announced the Arvind Kejriwal government’s plans to induce artificial rain using cloud seeding technology as a measure to tackle air pollution in Delhi.