Environmentalists lament Delhi cloud-seeding as short-term fix

New Delhi: Environmentalists have termed the Delhi government's cloud-seeding trial a short-term measure, saying it may temporarily reduce pollution but will not address the root causes of the capital's deteriorating air quality.

The Delhi government, in collaboration with IIT-Kanpur, conducted a cloud-seeding trial on Tuesday to induce artificial rain in parts of the national capital.

"Rain can subside pollution but it is only a temporary, end-of-the-tail solution that might provide relief for a few days. This cannot be done every time," environmentalist Vimlendu Jha said.

He said the government should focus on tackling pollution at the grassroots level. "Cloud seeding also affects soil and water bodies as chemicals like sulphur and iodide are injected into clouds. Moreover, this approach is city-specific, what about the pollutants coming from neighbouring states?" he asked.

Author and clean-air advocate Jyoti Pande Lavakare compared the cloud-seeding trial to previous short-term measures, such as smog towers.

"The only way to reduce pollution is to reduce emissions, which no one seems willing to do. Adding chemicals to clouds or air is about optics, not real impact," she said.

Lavakare added that recent policy decisions, such as the rollback of the emission norms for thermal power plants, have weakened efforts to control pollution.

Another environmentalist, Kriti Gupta, said such options could be explored but should not be seen as solutions in themselves.

"We should be open to scientific trials but not prioritise them as the only option. Civic awareness, reduced use of private transport, control on construction dust and better waste management are essential for lasting improvement," she said.

The government had conducted a test flight over Burari last week, releasing small quantities of silver iodide and sodium chloride compounds used for artificial rain. However, the attempt did not yield results due to low atmospheric moisture levels of less than 20 per cent, against the required 50 per cent for successful cloud seeding.

The Delhi cabinet on May 7 approved a proposal to conduct five cloud-seeding trials at a total cost of Rs 3.21 crore.

However, the exercise faced multiple postponements due to unfavourable weather and monsoon conditions, including deadlines set for May-end, early June, August, September and, most recently, the second week of October.