Delhi Cloud Seeding: Will Artificial Rain Bring Down Hazardous AQI Levels In The Capital City?

Delhi’s  Environment Minister, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, on Tuesday said that a cloud seeding trial will be conducted in the capital today, on October 28. The minister shared that the aircraft equipped to carry out the exercise will arrive from Kanpur after the visibility improves. The Delhi government already ran a trial earlier in the Burari area.

Dates On Which Cloud Seeding Is Most Likely To Happen

According to the Indian Meteorological Department, the most suitable dates for cloud seeding are between 28 and 30 October. A successful trial of this project was conducted last Thursday in Burari, said Rekha Gupta in a post on X. 

Talking to agencies, the Environment Minister of Delhi, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, mentioned that when the visibility levels in Kanpur go from 2000 to 5000, the plane from Kanpur will take off for a trial. 

What Is Cloud Seeding?

Cloud seeding is a procedure to induce artificial rain. In this practice, aeroplanes are used to sprinkle fire salt and other chemicals to induce rain. Its main purpose is to tackle air pollution, and considering the situation of Delhi, it is very much required. 

CM Rekha Gupta On Cloud Seeding

Delhi’s Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, said that “Cloud Seeding is a necessity for Delhi and is the first experiment of its kind. We want to try it in Delhi to see if it can help us control this very serious environmental problem.”

Budget of Cloud Seeding 

A budget of Rs. 3.21 crore was approved by the Delhi cabinet back in May. But due to unfavourable conditions, the seeding never happened and faced multiple postponements. 

Central Pollution Control Board Data Glitch

Amid high AQI and constant smog, it is almost impossible for people living in Delhi to breathe fresh air. A clear layer of smog was all over the city on Monday, and as usual, the quality remained “very poor”. Additionally, due to a technical glitch at the Central Pollution Control Board (CPBC), board data had not been updated to reflect the AQI for more than 13 hours. It was last updated on Monday, 11:37 pm with an AQI of 315. 

According to sources, one of the officials of CPCB said, “There were some technical glitches. Old data from stations had flooded our servers and had to be manually fixed. 

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