Every year, as autumn turns to winter, New Delhi finds itself shrouded in a suffocating, grayish haze. This isn’t just any fog; it’s a thick, acrid blanket of pollution that blurs the city’s iconic landmarks and makes simply breathing a challenge for its millions of inhabitants.
In a desperate bid to clear the air, the Delhi government recently teamed up with a leading Indian technology institute for an ambitious cloud-seeding experiment. Their goal: to induce artificial rainfall that would literally wash away the harmful pollutants choking the city.
However, after three disappointing attempts – including two on a single Tuesday – the remaining two scheduled trials were called off. The reason was simple: despite human intervention, nature refused to cooperate, as there just wasn’t enough moisture in the clouds to trigger rain.
Undeterred, the Delhi government plans to revisit cloud seeding in the future. Let’s delve deeper into what this project aimed to achieve and why its initial efforts fell short.
Understanding Cloud Seeding: What It Is and How It Works
Cloud seeding is a process designed to make artificial rain. It involves introducing specific chemical particles into clouds, which then act as nuclei. Water droplets within the cloud cluster around these particles, growing larger until they become too heavy to remain airborne and fall as rain.
For cloud seeding to be effective, clouds need at least 50% moisture. Unfortunately, the clouds targeted in Delhi’s recent experiment contained only about 15%, according to Manindra Agrawal, director of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, the government’s partner in this initiative. Mr. Agrawal explained in an interview that his team utilized a chemical concoction of common salt, rock salt, and silver iodide.
While cloud seeding isn’t a new concept – Beijing famously used it to clear the air for the 2008 Olympics – its application in India has primarily focused on drought management and water scarcity in states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra. The Delhi project marked India’s inaugural attempt to use this technology specifically for mitigating air pollution, as noted by Mr. Agrawal.
Delhi’s Bold Strategy: The Plan Unveiled
The Delhi government, in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, initiated this cloud-seeding experiment last month, an endeavor estimated to cost approximately $400,000.
The initial trial took place on October 23rd, followed by two further attempts on Tuesday. Despite scientific expectations of rain within four hours of cloud injection, none of the trials yielded the desired outcome. The chemical blend was released over six peripheral Delhi neighborhoods via flares mounted on an aircraft’s wings.
Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Delhi’s environment minister, indicated that future trials would only proceed when adequate moisture levels are present in the atmosphere. He also stated that a successful initial phase would have likely led to repeated cloud-seeding efforts until February, when air quality naturally begins to improve.
The feasibility of cloud seeding in Delhi remains a subject of debate. The Indian government’s environment ministry stated last year that the process is unlikely to be effective in Delhi’s colder months. They explained that ‘Effective cloud seeding requires specific cloud conditions, which are generally absent during Delhi’s cold and dry winter months.’
Why Does Delhi’s Air Quality Plummet Annually?
The answer lies in a combination of geographical factors and relentless human activity.
Geographically, Delhi is a landlocked basin, encircled by mountains and plateaus. This bowl-like structure naturally traps pollutants, while the city’s dry, windless winters offer little in the way of natural dispersal for these toxic particles.
Moreover, the Delhi metropolitan area is home to approximately 33 million people – a population greater than that of Texas, yet squeezed into a much smaller footprint. The city is a constant source of dust due to ongoing demolition and construction. Every road is a chaotic dance of countless vehicles, from motorcycles to colossal trucks, further contributing to the pollution.
Adding to the seasonal woes, the fall festival season, particularly Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights which occurred on October 21st this year, sees a surge in fireworks. Furthermore, northwesterly winds transport smoke from agricultural stubble burning in nearby states, significantly amplifying the city’s already dangerous levels of particulate matter.
In the past week, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) has consistently hovered around 350, a level considered ‘very poor,’ and frequently escalates to ‘hazardous’ during the season in various areas of the capital.
As Jasvinder Singh, a 57-year-old cab driver, lamented, ‘This city is unlivable all year round, especially for the poor who cannot afford air purifiers and ACs.’ He highlighted the stark contrast: scorching summers are followed by winters choked with polluted air.
Mr. Singh, a lifelong resident, expressed a common sentiment: ‘If it rains, it rains too much. But now, when we desperately need it, it’s not raining.’