Convene meeting to approve artificial rain plan for Delhi: Gopal Rai to Centre

New Delhi: Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday said he has written to the central government reiterating his request to convene a meeting of all stakeholders to approve a cloud seeding proposal to artificially induce rain to combat air pollution in Delhi.

This comes amid Delhi's worsening air quality. A thick layer of smog enveloped the national capital on Wednesday morning as its air quality remained in the 'very poor' category with an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 363.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Monday invoked the second stage of the Graded Response Action Plan in the national capital, imposing restrictions on the use of coal and firewood as well as diesel generator sets.

In his letter to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, Rai emphasised the need for emergency measures, including cloud seeding, to mitigate the health risks posed by hazardous smog and pollution levels.

He also reminded Yadav of his previous letters dated August 30 and October 10 in this regard.

"Delhi's air quality has already reached alarming levels and the government has implemented the Winter Action Plan from September 25, 2024, to combat pollution. However, in case the situation worsens, we are exploring alternative solutions for immediate relief," Rai said.

Cloud seeding, a process that involves artificially inducing rainfall to wash pollutants from the atmosphere, has been explored by the Delhi government before. However, it requires clearances from various central government agencies, including the Ministry of Defence, Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Airports Authority of India, he said.

Given the potential for the air quality to turn severe in November, Rai said a meeting of all relevant stakeholders should be convened to tackle the problem.

He underlined the importance of coordinating efforts between agencies such as the CPCB, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and the Bureau of Civil Aviation to implement cloud seeding as a potential emergency measure.

Rai's letter also included a presentation by IIT Kanpur outlining the feasibility of cloud seeding.

"Considering the worsening pollution levels, it is imperative that we evaluate this method's feasibility in Delhi's context," the letter stated.