Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Thursday that the national capital may experience its first artificial rain through cloud seeding on October 29 if the conditions remain favourable.

Cloud seeding is the process of combining chemical agents, including silver iodide, dry ice and even common table salt, to condense clouds and increase the chance of rainfall.

As the air quality in Delhi continues to be “poor”, Gupta told reporters on Friday that cloud seeding “is a necessity for Delhi”.

“We want to try it in Delhi to see if it can help us control this very serious environmental problem,” she said while speaking about the air pollution in the national capital.

A day ago, she said that experts had conducted a test run for the experiment in the Burari area.

“The weather department has indicated the possibility of cloud presence on October 28, 29 and 30,” the Delhi chief minister said on social media. “If conditions remain favourable, Delhi will experience its first artificial rain on October 29.”

She added that cloud seeding will “establish a scientific method to combat pollution in Delhi”.

The cloud seeding project in the national capital has been jointly developed by the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur and the Delhi government.

Experts have repeatedly pointed out that the experiment is not “very practical” to tackle air pollution as it is expensive, can only cover a limited area and needs very specific meteorological conditions.

They have also said that the respite from pollution through artificial rains is temporary.

Air quality in Delhi

Gupta’s statements came as the air quality in Delhi improved to the “poor” category on Friday, after remaining “very poor” for three consecutive days following the Diwali festivities.

The average Air Quality Index at 3.05 pm was 278, according to data from the Sameer application, which provides hourly updates published by the Central Pollution Control Board.

The AQI in Anand Vihar was the worst at 414, categorised as “severe”.

An index value between 0 and 50 indicates “good” air quality, between 51 and 100 indicates “satisfactory” air quality and between 101 and 200 indicates “moderate” air quality. As the index value increases further, air quality deteriorates. A value of 201 and 300 means “poor” air quality, while between 301 and 400 indicates “very poor” air.

Between 401 and 450 indicates “severe” air pollution, while anything above the 450 threshold is termed “severe plus”.

Air quality deteriorates sharply in the winter months in Delhi, which is often ranked the world’s most polluted capital. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, along with the lighting of firecrackers, vehicular pollution, falling temperatures, decreased wind speeds and emissions from industries and coal-fired plants contribute to the problem.

To curb the rising air pollution in Delhi and the adjoining areas in the National Capital Region, the Commission for Air Quality Management had on Sunday imposed Stage 2 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan.

The Graded Response Action Plan is a set of incremental anti-pollution measures that are triggered to prevent further worsening of air quality once it reaches a certain threshold in the Delhi-NCR region.

The second stage of the plan involves a ban on the use of coal and firewood, including tandoors in hotels, restaurants and open eateries. It also includes a ban on the use of diesel generator sets, except for emergency and essential services.

It further comprises measures such as the mechanical sweeping of roads and sprinkling water on them to keep the dust from rising, and intensified inspections for strict dust control measures at construction and demolition sites.

Also read: Delhi’s failure to act against the biggest source of its air pollution – vehicles

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