In view of the worsening air quality in Delhi, Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday urged the Centre to convene a meeting of all stakeholders to approve cloud seeding as an emergency measure to artificially induce rain to reduce the air pollution in the national capital.
Gopal Rai wrote to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, emphasising the need for emergency measures, including cloud seeding, to tackle the health risks caused by hazardous smog and pollution levels in Delhi.
The air quality in Delhi continued to deteriorate as a thick layer of smog enveloped the national capital on Wednesday morning. The air quality remained in the 'very poor' category with an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 363, news agency PTI reported.
Rai also reminded Yadav of his previous letters dated August 30 and October 10 in this regard. "Delhi Government has already implemented the Winter Action Plan w.e.f 25th Sept., 2024 to combat air pollution and is making continuous efforts to explore alternate solutions for immediate relief, in case air quality become severe," Rai said in the letter.
On Monday, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) invoked the second stage of the Graded Response Action Plan in Delhi, imposing restrictions on the use of coal, firewood, and diesel generator sets.
Cloud seeding is a process that involves inducing artificial rainfall to wash down pollutants floating in the atmosphere. This emergency measure has been explored by the Delhi government before. However, its execution needs clearances from several central government agencies, including the Ministry of Defence, the Airports Authority of India, and Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Rai said.
He stressed on the need to convene a meeting of relevant stakeholders given the likelihood of the air quality in the capital turning to severe in the month of November.
The Environment minister also underlined the significance of coordinating the efforts between agencies such as the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the CPCB, MHA, Ministry of Defence, and the Bureau of Civil Aviation, which is required to implement cloud seeding as an emergency measure.
Rai, in his letter, also included a presentation by IIT Kanpur elaborating the feasibility of cloud seeding. "Considering the worsening pollution levels, it is imperative that we evaluate this method's feasibility in Delhi's context," the letter stated.