Amid worsening Delhi pollution, minister Gopal Rai calls for cloud seeding to reduce AQI – all about artificial rain

Delhi AQI Today: Amid escalating air pollution in the national capital, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has called on Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav to reconsider the use of cloud seeding as an emergency measure to tackle the city’s worsening Air Quality Index (AQI).

With Delhi's AQI nearing hazardous levels, Rai has urged for an emergency meeting involving key stakeholders to assess the feasibility of artificial rain-making processes to alleviate the pollution crisis.

Gopal Rai’s Request for Urgent Action on Delhi’s AQI

In his letter to Bhupender Yadav, Rai highlighted the critical air quality situation in Delhi, where the AQI has already crossed the 450 mark, prompting the invocation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-IV). AAP leader Gopal Rai reminded Yadav of previous correspondence from August, October, and earlier this month regarding the city’s air quality during winter months, stressing the need for urgent action.

Rai stated, “As of now, Delhi’s AQI has already crossed the 450 level, and GRAP-IV has been invoked. The Delhi Government has implemented the Winter Action Plan to combat air pollution and continues exploring solutions for immediate relief.”

He further reiterated the city’s ongoing efforts in partnership with IIT Kanpur to explore cloud seeding as an emergency measure, a technique that can reduce air pollution by inducing rain to wash away airborne pollutants.

What is Cloud Seeding and How Does It Work?

Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique designed to stimulate rainfall or snow by introducing substances such as silver iodide or salt into clouds. This process encourages condensation, which leads to the formation of precipitation.

In polluted cities like Delhi, the induced rain helps reduce air pollution by removing harmful particulate matter from the atmosphere.

Cloud seeding typically involves the dispersal of “seeding agents” like silver iodide into existing clouds to encourage the condensation of water vapour.

These particles serve as nuclei around which water droplets can form, eventually leading to rainfall.

Meteorologists monitor weather conditions to identify suitable clouds for seeding, which can increase rainfall by up to 30-35% in favourable conditions and 10-15% in more humid climates.

Did Cloud Seeding Contribute to Dubai Flooding?

Despite the potential benefits of cloud seeding, the technique has recently been the subject of controversy, particularly in light of the heavy rainfall that caused widespread flooding in Dubai earlier this year. However, experts have refuted claims linking cloud seeding to the extreme weather events.

Oliver Branch, a meteorologist with the University of Hohenheim, stated that it was unrealistic to believe that cloud seeding was responsible for the severe rainfall in Dubai. “The probability of a connection between cloud seeding activity and the flooding in Dubai is close to zero,” Branch explained. He further noted that even if cloud seeding had played a role, the intense weather conditions would likely have been driven by other factors, including climate change, which has been linked to increased precipitation patterns in the region.

Dr Otto, another expert, added, "Even if cloud seeding did encourage clouds around Dubai to drop water, the atmosphere would have likely been carrying more water to form clouds in the first place, because of climate change."

Earlier this year, the UAE experienced its heaviest rainfall in 75 years, with some regions receiving more rainfall in a single day than they typically do in an entire year. This extreme weather resulted in significant flooding, particularly in Dubai and nearby areas, and was exacerbated by the high levels of rain, which led to fatalities and substantial property damage.