Delhi Embraces Artificial Rain as a Solution to Improve Air Quality.

In various parts around Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, and the National Capital Region (NCR), there was rain during Thursday and Friday midnight, bringing relief from the poor air quality prevailing over the past few days.

In an ongoing effort by the city government to alleviate pollution levels, artificial rain, termed as 'cloud seeding,' has been considered to reduce pollution in the national capital.

Areas including Duty Path, ITO, and the Delhi-Noida border are experiencing light to moderate rainfall. Meanwhile, several air quality monitoring stations across Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of less than 100 on Friday morning, compared to over 400 during the night.

The Regional Weather Forecasting Centre (RWFC) predicted intermittent light to moderate rain in areas around Delhi-NCR on Friday morning, including Rajiv Chowk, ITO, India Gate, Akshardham, Safdarjung, RK Puram, Lajpat Nagar, and other nearby regions.

The possibility of rain is also forecasted in Noida, Dadri, Greater Noida, Faridabad, Jind, Panipat, Matenhail, Jhajjar, Farukhnagar, Kosli, Mahendragarh, Narnaul, Hodal (Haryana), Meerut, Modinagar, Khatauli, Bulandshahr, Jahangirabad, Anupshahr, Bahjoi, Pahasu, Deoband, Naraora, Gabhana, Atrol, and Aligarh.

To discuss the potential of artificial rainfall using cloud seeding to reduce the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital, Delhi's Environment Minister Gopal Rai held a meeting on Wednesday with a team from IIT-Kanpur. Following the meeting, the minister stated that if the weather remains cloudy on November 20-21, artificial rainfall could be implemented.

According to PTI, officials revealed that the Delhi government has decided to bear the entire cost of artificial rain to combat hazardous air pollution in the city. The Chief Secretary has been directed to present the government's viewpoint before the Supreme Court on Friday.

Gopal Rai mentioned on Thursday that if the central government supports the decision, the Delhi government could arrange for artificial rain in the city by November 20.

Cloud seeding involves dispersing substances into the air to encourage the condensation of water vapor and subsequently induce rainfall or snowfall. Silver iodide, potassium iodide, and dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) are common cloud seeding agents. These agents provide nuclei around which water vapor can condense, ultimately leading to the formation of rain or snow.

This weather modification technology has been employed in various parts of the world, primarily in regions facing water scarcity or drought conditions.