Delhi鈥檚 Artificial Rain Through Cloud Seeding: To combat air pollution, Delhi is set to witness the first trial of artificial rain, with cloud seeding operations between July 4 and 11.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the flight plan has been submitted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Pune. He said the current weather conditions are not suitable for cloud seeding until July 3, but a tentative flight window has been proposed between July 4 and 11. He added that a proposal has also been sent to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for an alternative window, should the initial schedule be disrupted by adverse weather.
The project, titled 鈥楾echnology Demonstration and Evaluation of Cloud Seeding as an Alternative for Delhi NCR Pollution Mitigation鈥, will consist of five aircraft sorties over low-security airspace in northwest and outer Delhi. Each sortie, lasting approximately 90 minutes, will cover around 100 square kilometres.
This trial is estimated to cost approximately Rs 3.21 crore.
Delhi has been grappling with air pollution, with the implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan 鈥 Stage I (GRAP-I) in Delhi-National Capital Region and adjoining areas with immediate effect as the air quality turned 鈥減oor鈥 earlier this month.
WHAT IS CLOUD SEEDING?
Cloud seeding, also known as artificial rain, is a weather modification technique used to enhance precipitation (rain or snow) from clouds. It involves dispersing certain substances into the air that encourage cloud droplets to form and grow larger, eventually falling as precipitation.
HOW DOES CLOUD SEEDING WORK?
Clouds are made up of tiny water droplets or ice crystals. However, not all clouds naturally produce rain. Cloud seeding helps by adding 鈥渟eeding agents鈥 that act as nuclei for the water droplets to condense around, making them larger and heavier until they fall as rain.
SEEDING AGENTS FOR CLOUD SEEDING
Silver iodide (AgI) 鈥 Mimics the structure of ice crystals and is commonly used
Potassium iodide (KI)
Dry ice (solid carbon dioxide)
Sodium chloride (table salt)
Liquid propane 鈥 In very cold conditions.
METHODS OF CLOUD SEEDING
Aircraft Seeding: Planes fly through or above the clouds and release the seeding agent.
Ground-based Generators: Burn seeding agents on the ground, which rise into the clouds with air currents.
Rocket or Artillery Launch: In some cases, projectiles carrying the agents are fired into the clouds.
ARTIFICIAL RAIN & AIR POLLUTION
When cloud seeding leads to rain, the precipitation can:
Wash particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10) out of the air.
Remove gaseous pollutants like sulfur dioxide (SO鈧), nitrogen oxides (NO鈧), and ammonia.
Settle dust and smog from the atmosphere.
DOES CLOUD SEEDING WORK?
The improvement in air quality usually lasts only a few hours to a few days.
Reports say it does not eliminate pollution sources (e.g., vehicles, factories, fires).
Cloud seeding requires specific atmospheric conditions.
Rain might move pollution from the air to soil or water bodies, potentially causing runoff issues.
DID ANY OTHER COUNTRY TRY CLOUD SEEDING?
China has used cloud seeding before major events (like the 2008 Beijing Olympics) to clear smog and improve air quality.
India and UAE have experimented with it to try to reduce urban pollution, especially during winter.
AAP VS BJP OVER DELHI CLOUD SEEDING
In response to the accusations from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday, who claimed that the BJP and the Centre hindered the city鈥檚 pollution-control efforts and mocked the proposal for artificial rain during peak winter pollution, Sirsa clarified, 鈥淲e were the ones who signed the MoU first, made all the payments to IIT Kanpur, and applied for the necessary approvals because we want to take real action.鈥 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 do anything except talk about artificial rain. We, on the other hand, have worked sincerely. That鈥檚 why, within just four months of forming the government, we are at the stage of finalising the date for Delhi鈥檚 first artificial rain,鈥 he added.
With Agency Inputs