No rain in Delhi despite cloud seeding trials; here's why
What's the story
The Delhi government has teamed up with IIT Kanpur for five cloud-seeding trials from October to December at a cost of over ₹3 crore. As part of the plan, the Delhi government conducted two cloud seeding sorties on Tuesday in an effort to induce artificial rain and reduce pollution levels. However, the attempt to induce artificial rain over parts of Delhi was "not completely successful" due to low moisture content in the clouds, IIT Kanpur Director Manindra Agarwal told NDTV.
Trial details
Trials conducted over outer Delhi areas
"The clouds....[did] not have very high moisture content. I am told it was only up to 15-20%. So, the possibility of causing rain with such low moisture content is not very high," the IIT Kanpur director said. The cloud seeding trials were conducted over outer Delhi areas such as Khekra, Burari, North Karol Bagh, and Mayur Vihar. A Cessna aircraft was used to fire 14 flares filled with a mixture of rock salt and common salt with 20% silver iodide.
Pollution control
Cloud seeding not permanent solution to pollution woes: Agarwal
That being said, Agarwal clarified that cloud seeding is not a permanent solution to Delhi's pollution woes but an "SOS solution" for immediate relief. He emphasized that controlling pollution sources is the ideal long-term strategy. "And, ideally, we should reach a point when there is no need for cloud seeding, because there isn't any pollution. But until that happens, this is one tool which is available for reducing pollution to an extent," he said.
UP
2 more flights on Wednesday
The IIT Kanpur director also said that costs are high because flights are currently being conducted from Uttar Pradesh, and there is potential to reduce these costs. "Even though it is not a permanent solution, even if it rains after a few days, at least it can provide some relief," he said. While Tuesday's trials didn't turn out as expected, Agarwal said two more flights will take place on Wednesday, and the process will continue when there is cloud cover.
Pollution reduction
Delhi government claims reduction in particulate matter
Despite the lack of rain, the Delhi government said the cloud seeding trials helped reduce particulate matter in areas where they were conducted. A report noted a drop in PM2.5 and PM10 levels after the first seeding. For instance, PM2.5 levels dropped from 221 to 207 in Mayur Vihar after cloud seeding. The second trial was conducted from Meerut airstrip covering several regions, including Noida and Modinagar, with seeding material.
Cloud seeding
What is cloud seeding
Cloud seeding is a scientific method that involves releasing substances like potassium chloride, sodium chloride, or silver iodide into clouds in order to induce rainfall. These particles serve as nuclei around which water droplets might form, increasing the possibility of precipitation. However, like Agarwal, environmental scientists have long questioned the method's effectiveness, stating it is not a panacea for eradicating pollutants. Overwhelming evidence shows that pollution levels revert to normal within a day or two even after artificial rain.