Indian authorities on Tuesday conducted a cloud-seeding experiment over heavily polluted New Delhi to induce rainfall and help clear the city’s toxic air, which has drawn public concern.
A plane released chemicals into clouds over parts of the capital to encourage rain and wash out pollutants. Despite the attempt, air quality remained in the “very poor” category, according to local monitors.
Cloud seeding, a method of weather modification that triggers rain by dispersing chemicals into clouds, has previously been used in drought-prone regions, including the western United States and the United Arab Emirates. Experts, however, remain skeptical about its overall effectiveness.
Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the trial was conducted in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur and that further attempts are planned in the coming days. Authorities anticipate brief rainfall in some areas following the experiment.
New Delhi and surrounding regions, home to over 30 million people, frequently rank among the world’s most polluted. India houses six of the 10 most polluted cities globally, with New Delhi topping the list of capitals, according to Swiss air quality database IQAir.
Pollution worsens each winter due to crop residue burning in nearby states and cooler temperatures trapping smoke from vehicles and industries. Levels often exceed 20 times the World Health Organization’s safe limit.
Authorities have imposed construction restrictions, limited diesel generator use, and deployed sprinklers and anti-smog guns. Experts, including Krishna Achuta Rao of IIT Delhi, stress that cloud seeding offers only temporary relief and that strict emission-reduction laws are essential for lasting improvements.
“Cloud seeding is not a cure; it mainly demonstrates that action is being taken,” Rao said.
