Delhi pollution latest news: The national capital city has been battling pollution for a long time. It was only last week that Delhi’s environment minister spoke of a possible cloud seeding or the artificial rain method to bring down the pollution levels.
In the last fortnight, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) consistently surpassed 450, nearly tenfold higher than the safe threshold, measuring PM 2.5 levels. Although a brief spell of rain temporarily reduced pollution, air quality deteriorated sharply on Monday. Experts say that blatant violation of cracker ban during diwali festivities led to sharp spike in pollutants in the air.
For the second day in a row, Delhi- NCR’s air quality worsened on Tuesday and fell into the ‘severe category’. Throughout the year, pollution persists in Delhi, stemming from factors like elevated vehicle and industrial emissions along with dust. However, the air quality worsens notably during winter due to crop residue burning by neighboring farmers and reduced wind speeds that amplify pollutant concentration.
To address this, the Delhi government has initiated early winter breaks for schools and imposed a ban on construction activities. Additionally, the government seeks approval from the Supreme Court, currently reviewing petitions regarding Delhi’s hazardous air, for the implementation of cloud seeding.
What is cloud seeding or artificial rain?
According to a BBC report, cloud seeding accelerates moisture condensation in clouds to induce rain by dispersing salt particles, like silver iodide or chloride, via planes or ground devices. These particles act as ice nuclei, triggering ice crystal formation that encourages cloud moisture to condense into rain.
However, the report further adds that the success of cloud seeding depends on specific atmospheric conditions, such as optimal moisture levels and cloud types. Introduced decades ago, it has been used globally for rainfall enhancement, yet its efficacy remains variable and reliant on precise environmental factors, the BBC report said.
What is Delhi Gov’s plan?
The Delhi government aims to execute a cloud seeding project proposed by researchers from IIT Kanpur, planned to be conducted in two phases, initially covering approximately 300 square kilometers.
Experts recommend implementing the project on November 20 and 21 due to favorable meteorological conditions. Manindra Agrawal, the project’s lead scientist, mentioned to Reuters that although complete coverage over Delhi isn’t expected, achieving a few hundred kilometers of cloud seeding would be beneficial.
Can artificial rain help with pollution?
The idea behind cloud seeding is that rain could potentially cleanse the atmosphere by washing away airborne particles, as observed in Delhi after recent rainfall temporarily reduced pollution levels.
However, experts remain uncertain about the actual effectiveness of artificial rain in addressing pollution. They note that while cloud seeding has been used in other countries for air quality management and dust suppression, its impact seems sporadic at best, according to the BBC report.
The BBC report quoting an expert said, rainfall does bring immediate relief by lowering pollution levels, but these levels tend to rebound within 48-72 hours. The expert emphasized that cloud seeding, being expensive and lacking definite lasting effects, might not be a sustainable solution and requires deliberate and structured policymaking involving various experts.
Additionally, some experts express concerns about the lack of substantial empirical evidence regarding the extent of air quality improvement achievable through cloud seeding. Altering natural processes through cloud seeding might have inherent limitations that are not yet fully understood.
Abinash Mohanty, a climate change expert, highlights that relying solely on meteorological interventions like cloud seeding won’t solve pollution issues. He emphasizes the necessity for more comprehensive and concerted efforts rather than scattered trial-and-error experiments to effectively combat air pollution.
However, the cloud seeding plan’s success relies on approvals from India’s Supreme Court and federal ministries, potentially being implemented later this month, subject to weather conditions.
Despite doubts from experts about cloud seeding’s effectiveness due to its complexity, cost, and unproven impact, they push for further research on its environmental effects. Despite uncertainties, Delhi’s persistent severe pollution remains a global concern, compelling political leaders to seek a solution, potentially involving cloud seeding.