Delhi Seeks Urgent Cloud Seeding to Combat Toxic Smog

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has urged Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav to convene an emergency meeting regarding cloud seeding, aimed at tackling the capital's severe air pollution. Despite extensive measures like vehicle bans and school closures, air quality remains critical, prompting further urgent interventions.

Delhi is grappling with a severe air pollution crisis, prompting Environment Minister Gopal Rai to call for immediate action. In a letter to Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav, Rai urged the convening of an emergency meeting to discuss cloud seeding, a method intended to induce artificial rain and break the persistent smog layer blanketing the city.

The Delhi government has undertaken various measures to curb pollution, including bans on certain vehicles and shutting down schools. However, these efforts have yet to yield significant improvements in air quality. The necessity to disperse the heavy smog has led to renewed calls for cloud seeding, backed by research from IIT Kanpur.

Despite implementing Stage-IV of the Graded Response Action Plan, Delhi's air quality index (AQI) remains perilously high, far exceeding safe limits set by the World Health Organization. Officials stress the urgency of increasing wind speeds or inducing rain to clear the smog, as the capital struggles with relentless pollution.

(With inputs from agencies.)