Amid rising air pollution levels after the Diwali festival, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday described cloud seeding as a “necessity” for the national capital. Her remarks came a day after she unveiled plans to induce artificial rain in the city.
“Cloud seeding is a necessity for Delhi and is the first experiment of its kind. We want to try it in Delhi to see if it can help us control this very serious environmental problem,” CM Gupta told ANI.
She added, “So the blessings of the people of Delhi are with the government, and we feel that this will be a successful experiment and in future, we will be able to overcome these environmental problems.”
Following a trial in the Burari area of New Delhi, CM Gupta announced that if weather conditions remain favourable, the capital could experience its first artificial rain next week.
“According to the weather department, cloudy conditions are expected on October 28, 29, and 30. If the weather remains favourable, Delhi is likely to witness its first artificial rain on October 29,” she wrote on X.
Gupta emphasized the significance of the initiative, saying, “This initiative is not only technologically historic but also establishes a scientific approach to combatting pollution in Delhi. The government aims to clean the capital’s air and balance its environment through this innovation.”
Air quality in Delhi-NCR has taken a significant hit following Diwali, with firecrackers across the city and surrounding regions pushing pollution levels into the ‘severe’ category.
Experts noted that the onset of winter typically worsens air quality. However, they highlighted that pollution in the capital shifted dramatically over the past month. During the first 19 days of October, photochemical pollutants like ozone and carbon monoxide dominated the air, while particulate matter, including PM10 and PM2.5, took over in the four days following Diwali.
Experts told HT that this pattern reflects a sharp increase in combustion-driven emissions, primarily from firecrackers, with additional contributions from vehicles, industries, and local burning. Starting October 20, the day of Diwali, ozone and carbon monoxide largely disappeared from the AQI charts, replaced by particulate matter.
