The national capital turned to an unconventional method this year in its battle with smog. The Delhi government, in collaboration with IIT Kanpur and other agencies, launched a cloud-seeding initiative costing around ₹3.2 crore. The goal was to make it rain so that the pollutants in the air would wash away. Instead, the plan didn’t bring the much-anticipated rain, which raised difficult questions about cost, timing, and scientific feasibility.
What the Initiative Wanted to Do
Cloud seeding, also known as artificial rain, is the process of adding certain particles, like silver iodide or salt compounds, to clouds to speed up the formation of droplets and start rain.
In Delhi, the goal was to focus on the polluted, smoggy skies and try to clear the air with rain. The trial was planned to take place over the outer parts of Delhi, with flight paths planned out.
Why It Didn’t Work: Experts’ Explanations
Experts say the experiment failed for a number of reasons, even though they had high hopes:
1. Not enough cloud and moisture conditions
Cloud seeding doesn’t make clouds; it only works when there are already clouds with enough moisture.
At the time, Delhi’s skies didn’t have the right amount of clouds or moisture for seeding to work. The weather and time weren’t right.
2. Bad weather timing and conditions
It looks like the trial’s schedule was messed up by changing weather patterns and monsoon rains. The operation was supposed to happen in early July, but it was pushed back to late August or September because of worries about the weather and the monsoon.
When the weather isn’t good, the chances of seeding success go down a lot.
3. Pollution and changes in the atmosphere could make the goal harder to reach.
The pollution that the city is trying to get rid of may have actually made the mechanism work less well. When there are a lot of particles and aerosols in the air, it can change the way clouds work and make it less likely that it will rain. Just making it rain doesn’t mean the source of the pollutants is dealt with; the pollutants can quickly come back. The news story points out that these kinds of one-time fixes are not sustainable.
4. Questions about the price, how long it will last, and what will happen in the long run
The cloud-seeding project cost ₹3.2 crore. This makes you wonder if this was the best way to spend money to make the air better for a long time. Experts say it’s an expensive “stop-gap” measure at best, because it only gives short-term relief and doesn’t get to the bottom of the problem.
What Delhi’s Pollution Strategy Means
The failed attempt at artificial rain shows that Delhi needs to stop using flashy technological fixes and start using more structural, systemic ones.
Key points:
It doesn’t matter what the weather is like; cutting emissions at the source is still important.
Long-term fixes include green infrastructure, cutting down on emissions from cars and businesses, and stopping crop burning.
Artificial rain might work for a short time, but it can’t be the main thing..
It’s important to have realistic expectations: Cloud seeding is scientifically dubious and highly contingent on specific conditions.
In conclusion
Delhi’s ₹3.2 crore cloud-seeding experiment is a warning: controlling the weather is not the same as controlling pollution. It is important to come up with new ideas for managing the environment, but they must be practical, work well with the environment, and be planned to last. If the sources of pollution are not dealt with, even a lot of fake rain may only wash the slate for a short time before the haze comes back.
