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The Delhi government, in collaboration with IIT-Kanpur, conducted testing at several locations including Burari, North Karol Bagh, Mayur Vihar and Badli.
The total budget for cloud seeding for the five trials is over ₹3.2 crore – meaning each trial costs around ₹64 lakh. So far three trials have been completed, but all of them were not successful in producing rain.
Officials said the moisture content remained low, around 10-15%, as estimated by the IMD and other agencies, which is well below the limit required for cloud seeding. The sky remained cloudy on October 28, but there was insufficient moisture in the clouds. According to studies, the process generally requires a minimum of 50-60% humidity.
“The moisture content (in clouds) remained 10-15% less, which is not ideal conditions for cloud seeding,” an IIT-Kanpur report said.
Cloud seeding largely depends on meteorological conditions such as wind speed and presence of rain clouds – both things which are generally absent during the dry winter months of Delhi.
Manindra Agarwal, director of IIT-Kanpur, told NDTV, “There has been no rain so far. In that sense, it is not completely successful. But, unfortunately, the clouds that are present today do not have very high moisture content. I am told that it was only up to 15-20%. So, the chances of rain with such a low moisture content are not very high. But this test has given our team more confidence that we can continue to operate them.”
However, the Delhi government defended the practice, saying it had contributed to the reduction of particulate matter (PM) levels in the testing areas despite adverse weather.
“Before cloud seeding, PM 2.5 levels were 221, 230 and 229 respectively in Mayur Vihar, Karol Bagh and Burari, which reduced to 207, 206 and 203 respectively after the first seeding. Similarly, PM 10 levels were 207, 206, 209, which reduced to 177, 163, 177 in Vihar, Karol Bagh and Burari respectively,” the report said.
Experts have called this experiment a short-term measure, noting that although it may temporarily reduce pollution, it does little to address the root causes of Delhi’s deteriorating air quality.
Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy) at the Center for Science and Environment, said times of India: “No substantial rainfall has yet been recorded in the city after cloud seeding. Even if the rain washes away the pollutants, the pollution will quickly bounce back. Its effects last from hours to a few days.”
He said sustainable improvements in air quality require targeting actual emissions reductions from ground level sources.
Environmentalist Vimalendu Jha called the initiative a “temporary”, “end-of-the-tail” solution that may provide relief for a few days.
“Cloud seeding also affects soil and water bodies as chemicals like sulfur and iodide are injected into the clouds. Moreover, this approach is city-specific, what about pollutants coming from neighboring states?” he asked.