Making artificial rain through cloud seeding needs specific weather conditions and various permissions.
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has come up with a solution to tackle air pollution in Delhi and nearby areas. They suggest using “artificial rains” created through cloud seeding to remove pollutants and dust from the air.
The top institute has been working for more than five years to set up the right conditions for artificial rain. They carried out successful tests in July, as per the Economic Times. The researchers have received approvals from government bodies, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), for cloud seeding, as mentioned in the report.
Nonetheless, making artificial rain depends on specific weather conditions like having the right kind of clouds with enough moisture and suitable winds. Cloud seeding and creating artificial rain aren’t entirely precise sciences, and it’s uncertain if they will be effective during the early winter months or on a large scale.
This process also requires getting various permissions, such as those from the DGCA, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Special Protection Group responsible for the prime minister’s security. These permissions are needed to fly aircraft over the national capital, which is in need of cleaner air.
In September, the Delhi environment minister, Gopal Rai, mentioned that the city government was getting ready to try cloud seeding as part of its winter action plan to fight air pollution.
“Experts from IIT-Kanpur also gave a presentation on how artificial rain can be produced. We have requested them to prepare a detailed presentation outlining various facets such as implementation and financial burden. The presentation will be placed before the CM and we will further explore the possibility of implementation of the measures,” Rai explained.
Manindra Agrawal, a professor in the computer science and engineering department at IIT Kanpur, who led this project, mentioned that artificial rains might provide short-term relief for up to a week to people in the National Capital Region (NCR) dealing with bad air quality, as per ET.
As Delhi’s air quality reached the ‘severe plus’ level for the second time in three days, strict restrictions of Stage IV from the graded response action plan were enforced on Sunday.
In Stage IV, only CNG, electric, and BS VI-compliant vehicles from other states can enter Delhi, with exemptions for essential service vehicles. Additionally, all medium and heavy goods vehicles not involved in essential services are prohibited in the city, as per the recent order.
