Delhi pushes for artificial rain again, experts advise against it

New Delhi
Amid record pollution levels engulfing the Capital, the Delhi government on Tuesday pushed for artificial rainfall to be carried out in the Capital as an emergency measure to mitigate pollution, according to a communique from Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai to Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav.
While Rai urged the Central government to convene an emergency meeting in this regard, experts advised against the move, and instead, called on the government to focus on controlling pollution at source and not undertake experiments without proven scientific efficacy.
In his communique, Rai said: “The smog layer can only be dispersed in two ways: either through strong winds or, as demonstrated by experiments in various parts of the world, through artificial rain or natural rainfall. BJP-led central government has shown a lack of urgency, even as half of north India suffers from severe pollution. Despite repeated appeals and letters sent in August, September, October, and now on November 19, there has been no effort from the central government to call a meeting.”
In response, the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) blamed the Delhi government for failure to take mitigation measures and the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government for undertaking stubble burning.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said: “If he had written enough letters to his party’s Punjab government to stop stubble burning or to Delhi’s PWD to repair broken roads, the outcomes could have been better. Does the Delhi government have a scientific feasibility report on this, and whether such an experiment has ever been conducted in India?”
Artificial rain or cloud seeding is a weather modification technique wherein silver iodide (AgI) is released into the atmosphere to aid the formation of ice crystals and improve the ability of the cloud to create rain. Silver iodide helps create tiny ice nuclei in clouds, which is required to bring artificial rain over a region.
Rai said clearances are needed from the Centre’s DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation), MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) and defence ministry, among other agencies.
Expert view
Scientists and experts termed the artificial rain proposal impractical, suggesting that its success was not guaranteed.
Sunil Dahiya, lead analyst at think-tank Envirocatalysts, said: “If the government had controlled pollution at the source, it would not have to resort to such ridiculous ideas. To even attempt such an idea, one would have to carry out cloud seeding not just over Delhi, but the Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh too, since that is where the smog layer currently hangs over.”
Sachin Ghude, a scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune, which carried out experiments with cloud seeding at the western Ghats in 2015-2018, said not all clouds can be seeded. “Firstly, we need sufficient clouds and in particular, convective clouds. Over the last week, clouds have been missing. Our tests also revealed that even then, not all clouds will bring rain,” he said.
Bhavreen Kandhari, an environmentalist, said: “These things are only optics trying to address symptoms rather than root causes. Once the mist dissipates, particulates can re-suspend into the air, especially in windy conditions or areas with ongoing emissions. This cannot be a replacement for systemic reforms, such as stricter emission controls, protecting biodiversity, urban greening, and clean energy transitions.”