India's capital, Delhi, is facing one of its most severe air pollution crises yet. The government has turned to cloud seeding as a last-ditch attempt to bring cleaner air to the world's most polluted city. This ambitious plan involves adding silver iodide particles to clouds, which are then supposed to induce artificial rain and wash away pollutants.
The Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) has been touting cloud seeding as a solution since it took power earlier this year. However, months of unpredictable weather have put the scheme on hold, only for Delhi's air quality to plummet once again after the Diwali festival. The government has now decided to proceed with the trial, citing favourable conditions.
The first trial flight is set to take place on October 29, and if successful, it will mark a new era in artificial rain over Delhi. However, experts warn that cloud seeding is no panacea and may have limited effects. Dr Shahzad Gani and Dr Krishna AchutaRao, professors at the Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, describe the plan as a "gimmick" that ignores the root causes of pollution.
The two experts also raise concerns about the long-term impact of repeated cloud seeding on agriculture and human health. There is limited research on the effects of chemicals like silver iodide or sodium chloride, which are used in the process. The scientists caution against snake-oil solutions that promise quick fixes without addressing the underlying issues.
Delhi has been ranked as the world's most polluted city for over a decade, with pollution levels skyrocketing during winter months. In 2024, air quality data showed a 6% increase, with particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) levels regularly exceeding those seen in Beijing's infamous "airpocalypse" of 2013.
With the cloud seeding experiment set to begin, Delhi residents are left wondering if this will be the solution they've been waiting for. Will it really bring cleaner air to the city? Or is it just another false promise from a government desperate to address its most pressing issue?
The Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) has been touting cloud seeding as a solution since it took power earlier this year. However, months of unpredictable weather have put the scheme on hold, only for Delhi's air quality to plummet once again after the Diwali festival. The government has now decided to proceed with the trial, citing favourable conditions.
The first trial flight is set to take place on October 29, and if successful, it will mark a new era in artificial rain over Delhi. However, experts warn that cloud seeding is no panacea and may have limited effects. Dr Shahzad Gani and Dr Krishna AchutaRao, professors at the Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, describe the plan as a "gimmick" that ignores the root causes of pollution.
The two experts also raise concerns about the long-term impact of repeated cloud seeding on agriculture and human health. There is limited research on the effects of chemicals like silver iodide or sodium chloride, which are used in the process. The scientists caution against snake-oil solutions that promise quick fixes without addressing the underlying issues.
Delhi has been ranked as the world's most polluted city for over a decade, with pollution levels skyrocketing during winter months. In 2024, air quality data showed a 6% increase, with particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) levels regularly exceeding those seen in Beijing's infamous "airpocalypse" of 2013.
With the cloud seeding experiment set to begin, Delhi residents are left wondering if this will be the solution they've been waiting for. Will it really bring cleaner air to the city? Or is it just another false promise from a government desperate to address its most pressing issue?
I'm all for trying new things but cloud seeding sounds like a pretty shady plan to me. I mean, have we even done any real research on this stuff or are we just winging it? They're talking about adding silver iodide particles to clouds and expecting it to magically wash away pollutants... it's like a scene from a bad sci-fi movie 
. And what's with the 'gimmick' comment from those experts? It doesn't sound like they're being entirely serious... is this just some fancy PR stunt? 
I need to see some real data on this before I get my hopes up 
!!! The cloud seeding thingy sounds like a total gimmick, imo 
. Like, what's up with the gov't thinking that silver iodide particles will magically make all the pollutants disappear? 
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. Like, who knew repeated cloud seeding could mess with agriculture and human health? 
Not me, that's for sure! I'm all for trying new things, but let's not forget to research it properly first 
.
It's like, can't we just work together to make some real progress here? 
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this cloud seeding thing will actually work, but like, let's keep our expectations in check 
.
And 6% increase in pollution levels is still pretty crazy. Delhi's been ranked as the most polluted city for years now... it feels like we're stuck in a cycle of quick fixes. 
Can we not take a step back and think about why these solutions aren't working in the first place?
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. I'm all for trying new things, but let's be real - Delhi's air quality crisis isn't going to magically fix itself 
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). But if it just ends up being another false promise... man 
like i get where experts r coming from but think of all the other options that hav been tried n failed 
. cant we jus try everything 2 see wot works? 
. The experts are right, we need to tackle the root causes of pollution, not just try out some gimmicky tech that might not even work 
. And what about the long-term effects on agriculture and human health? That's gotta be a major concern fam . I hope they do their due diligence and make sure this thing is gonna actually help, 'cause Delhi needs all the clean air it can get 
️
but experts say it's not gonna be a magic fix, like, it's gonna have some limitations for sure 
not just slap on a gimmick 
and what about the long-term effects on agriculture and human health? 
let's hope they do some actual research before proceeding with this...
anyway im so glad the gov's trying something new lol but like seriously dont @ me 2 yrs ago i went to india 4 a friend's wedding & was literally wheezing on the streets it was crazy 
It's like that old saying "well-behind the times" - if you're not willing to adapt, you'll be left in the dust 
, let's get real. All these months of predicting the weather and whatnot, and now they're just gonna try it out because... reasons? It's not like they've been doing a great job with the air quality already 
. Like, who actually knows what's gonna happen when we start messing with the chemistry of these clouds? It's not like they've done any real research or anything 
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? Delhi needs cleaner air, and it needs it now 
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. Until they actually have some concrete answers, I'll just be over here waiting for the next big false promise 
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. Let's get to the bottom of this before it's too late 
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and as for those "experts" warning about limited effects, yeah right maybe just trying to sabotage the government's plan 
. Anything less is just a temporary fix that won't last 
.