New Delhi’s Strategy to Combat Severe Pollution Crisis: Cloud Seeding Initiatives Planned
In New Delhi, an Indian government plane flew over the city releasing chemicals into the clouds in an attempt to induce rain. The hope was that the water would help “wash away” the pollutants suspended in the air, which were reaching levels 20 times higher than those recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa confirmed that the experiment was carried out in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur (IIT-K) and that further tests are planned in the coming days. Authorities were hopeful of mild precipitation in some areas during the day.
The situation in the Indian capital is critical: with over 30 million inhabitants, the city tops the list of the world’s most polluted cities, according to the IQAir report, a Swiss organization specializing in atmospheric monitoring.
### What is cloud seeding and why does it raise doubts
Cloud seeding is a climate modification technique that involves stimulating the formation of raindrops. It has been used in arid regions of the United States, China, or the United Arab Emirates, mainly to combat droughts, although its scientific effectiveness remains a subject of debate.
In the case of New Delhi, the purpose was not to increase water reserves, but to temporarily reduce the pollution covering the city during winter, when the burning of crop residues, low temperatures, and industrial emissions combine in a toxic mix.
However, experts like Krishna Achuta Rao of the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi warn that cloud seeding is not a real solution. As he explained, “it can only clean the air for a few days; then pollution levels return to previous levels.”
### Temporary measures against a structural problem
Every year, when smog covers the capital, authorities implement emergency measures: construction bans, diesel generator restrictions, and anti-smog cannons to spray water on the streets. But these palliatives do not address the root of the problem.
Rao and other experts insist that the only lasting solution lies in structural changes. This would involve much stricter policies on industry, road traffic, and agricultural practices.
“Cloud seeding is not a cure, it is more of a political gesture to show that something is being done,” added the researcher.
Meanwhile, Delhi residents continue to live under a gray cloud that affects public health, reduces visibility, and disrupts the daily lives of millions of people.
### The paradox of a symbolic technology
The experiment reflects a paradox: India is investing in advanced technologies to modify the climate, yet it still struggles to implement effective environmental regulations to prevent air quality from reaching dangerous levels.
Cloud seeding may offer a momentary respite, but it cannot replace the structural change the country needs. As the scientists from IIT pointed out, the only “rain” capable of truly cleaning the air in New Delhi will be the one that falls after a deep political and energy transformation.
