Delhi govt proposes ‘cloud seeding’ to check bad air
The development came a day after minister Gopal Rai held a review meeting with experts to devise a winter action plan on air pollution
Delhi minister Gopal Rai on Friday wrote to Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav, requesting him to convene a meeting of different stakeholders to evaluate the possibility of inducing artificial rain in the Capital this winter in a bid to keep in check the high air pollution levels recorded in the city during the colder months.
The development came a day after Rai, who holds the environment portfolio in the Delhi government, held a review meeting with experts to devise a winter action plan on air pollution. One of the suggestions given by the experts was that of inducing artificial rain, which is brought about through cloud seeding — a weather modification technique in which silver iodide (AgI) is released into the atmosphere to aid the formation of ice crystals and improve the ability of the cloud to create rain. IIT Kanpur has a special aircraft modified and retrofitted with cloud seeding equipment to carry out such an exercise.
In his letter, Rai said that year-on-year, Delhi records alarmingly high air pollution levels in winter, particularly in November, and thus, there is a need to assess the feasibility of inducing artificial rain.
“As you are aware, during every winter season, the air quality in Delhi reaches hazardous levels due to smog concentration and low wind speed, posing severe health risks to the population and environmental degradation. This year, Deepawali is going to coincide with parali burning (stubble burning), which is likely to turn the air quality hazardous,” Rai said in his letter.
The Delhi minister said permissions for cloud seeding may also have to be taken in advance, for which the process can commence in the coming weeks.
“Given the critical situation in Delhi during the month of November, I believe it is imperative to consider the feasibility of this method in this context,” he wrote.
Delhi’s average AQI, which according to a Central Pollution Control Board bulletin was 102 (moderate) on Friday, can shoot well beyond 400 and into the “severe” category in November and December. CPCB does not calculate AQI beyond 500.
Rai had earlier announced that the government plans to write to both Yadav as well as IIT Kanpur, to assess the possibility of carrying out cloud seeding this winter.
Last year too, the government had announced a plan to experiment with cloud seeding, approaching IIT Kanpur, which gave a detailed presentation to both the AAP government and the Delhi lieutenant governor. However, the plan was ultimately dropped, as not all clearances required from the Centre and its various departments, was received. At the same time, meteorological conditions were also not found to be feasible at the time.