India Takes the First Step Towards Cleaning Delhi's Air with Cloud Seeding Experiment
In a bid to tackle the city's notorious air pollution, India has embarked on an experiment using cloud seeding to induce artificial rain in Delhi. This initiative aims to clean the air in the world's most polluted city by leveraging the natural process of cloud formation and precipitation.
The government has been exploring this unconventional method since it took office earlier this year, citing its potential to bring about a significant reduction in pollution levels. Now that months of unpredictable weather have put plans on hold, Delhi's environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has announced that the first trial flight is underway, featuring seeding flares launched into the sky.
The city's chief minister Rekha Gupta predicts that if conditions remain favorable, Delhi will experience its first artificial rain on October 29. However, experts warn that cloud seeding is not a panacea and has limitations. It is intended to produce more frequent and heavier rainfall than natural clouds but can have a minimal impact. Moreover, the process requires cloudy conditions, which are often absent over Delhi during winter when pollution peaks.
Experts at the Centre for Atmospheric Sciences in Delhi have expressed skepticism about the plan, likening it to "smog towers" that were erected by the previous government with little success and enormous cost. They also caution that there is limited research on the long-term effects of using chemicals like silver iodide or sodium chloride for repeated cloud seeding, which could pose risks to agriculture and human health.
As Delhi continues to rank as the world's most polluted city, any measure to alleviate pollution must be approached with caution and rigorously tested. While this experiment marks a step in the right direction, it is crucial to acknowledge the complexity of air pollution and address its root causes rather than relying on quick fixes or gimmicks.
In a bid to tackle the city's notorious air pollution, India has embarked on an experiment using cloud seeding to induce artificial rain in Delhi. This initiative aims to clean the air in the world's most polluted city by leveraging the natural process of cloud formation and precipitation.
The government has been exploring this unconventional method since it took office earlier this year, citing its potential to bring about a significant reduction in pollution levels. Now that months of unpredictable weather have put plans on hold, Delhi's environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has announced that the first trial flight is underway, featuring seeding flares launched into the sky.
The city's chief minister Rekha Gupta predicts that if conditions remain favorable, Delhi will experience its first artificial rain on October 29. However, experts warn that cloud seeding is not a panacea and has limitations. It is intended to produce more frequent and heavier rainfall than natural clouds but can have a minimal impact. Moreover, the process requires cloudy conditions, which are often absent over Delhi during winter when pollution peaks.
Experts at the Centre for Atmospheric Sciences in Delhi have expressed skepticism about the plan, likening it to "smog towers" that were erected by the previous government with little success and enormous cost. They also caution that there is limited research on the long-term effects of using chemicals like silver iodide or sodium chloride for repeated cloud seeding, which could pose risks to agriculture and human health.
As Delhi continues to rank as the world's most polluted city, any measure to alleviate pollution must be approached with caution and rigorously tested. While this experiment marks a step in the right direction, it is crucial to acknowledge the complexity of air pollution and address its root causes rather than relying on quick fixes or gimmicks.