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Picture Courtesy: The Hindu

Context:

Delhi’s air remains among the most polluted in the world, mainly due to emissions from vehicles, industries, construction, power plants, open waste burning, and farm fires. While cloud seeding has recently been proposed as a quick fix, it offers little more than temporary relief and distracts from the real solutions.

Cloud Seeding: What It Is?

Cloud seeding involves spraying substances like silver iodide or sodium chloride into clouds to encourage raindrop formation.

Limitations:

• It cannot create clouds; it only works when suitable clouds already exist.
• Evidence that it significantly increases rainfall is weak and inconsistent.
• Even if rain occurs, the reduction in pollution is temporary, lasting only a day or two.

Picture Courtesy: DRI

Current Status:

• The Delhi Cabinet approved a pilot cloud-seeding programme in 2025 costing about ₹ 3.21 crore. (Source: India Today)
• It will be executed in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, using a specially-equipped aircraft. (Source: India Today) 

• The pilot calls for five sorties, each roughly 1–1.5 hours, covering around 100 sq km in north-west Delhi and adjoining areas. (Source: India Today) 

• The objective: induce artificial rain in order to “wash out” particulate pollution (PM2.5/PM10) during high-pollution months. (Source: ET) 

Impact:

• Hydrological / Precipitation Effects: A study over the Solapur region (Maharashtra, India) found that hygroscopic cloud seeding led to an ~18 % increase in rainfall compared to non-seeded clouds. (Source: Business Standard) 

• Environmental & Ecosystem Impacts: The main seeding agent, Silver Iodide (AgI), has been studied: many analyses show very low accumulation in soils or waters but laboratory work indicates possible risks if seeding is repeated many times in the same location: e.g., effects on soil bacteria or freshwater organisms under high-exposure scenarios. 

• Operational, Ethical & Economic Aspects: Because seeding is highly weather- and cloud-condition dependent, it carries operational risks: e.g., attempting to seed when clouds are inadequate leads to wasted effort and cost. 

• Implications for Use in Urban Air-Pollution Contexts: Given that cloud seeding’s rainfall enhancement is conditional, its applicability for addressing urban air-pollution (e.g., in a city like Delhi) is highly uncertain: rainfall might help – but only if clouds exist, and even then the effect on pollutants is likely short-lived. 

Challenges:

• Effectiveness & scientific uncertainty: The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that precipitation enhancements from cloud seeding range from 0 % to 20 %, making attribution of added rainfall very difficult. 

• Dependence on suitable meteorological conditions: Seeding only works when there are clouds with the right microphysics, sufficient moisture, and favourable dynamics. Without these, seeding cannot create rainfall “out of thin air”.  

• Environmental, legal & ethical risks: Use of agents like silver iodide raises concerns about cumulative environmental or health impacts, though current research suggests low risk at normal use levels. 

• Cost, resource intensity & opportunity cost: Seeding programs require aircraft/ground generators, trained personnel, monitoring systems — making them expensive and logistically complex. 

Government Measures and Other Nation Initiatives:

 Way Forward:

• Reassess Cloud Seeding as a Short-Term Experiment: Treat cloud seeding strictly as a research and pilot activity, not as a core pollution-control measure. 

• Prioritize Root-Cause Pollution Control: Strengthen enforcement on major pollution sources:
  • Vehicular emissions: Promote electric/public transport, stricter emission norms, congestion pricing.
  • Industrial and power-plant emissions: Enforce continuous emission monitoring and switch to cleaner fuels.
  • Construction and dust control: Mandate on-site dust suppression and recycling of debris.
  • Agricultural stubble burning: Expand subsidies and incentives for crop residue management and bio-CNG plants. 

• Integrate Technology with Policy: Invest in real-time air quality monitoring and predictive modelling to guide emergency measures (like odd-even schemes or temporary shutdowns). Use remote sensing and AI-based weather forecasting to predict when cloud seeding could be feasible—optimizing timing and reducing wasted attempts. 

• Strengthen Regional and International Collaboration: Partner with countries experienced in cloud seeding (e.g., UAE, Saudi Arabia, USA) to share best practices, technology, and monitoring protocols. 

• Invest in Long-Term Sustainable Measures: Expand urban green cover and green barriers to trap dust and lower urban heat. 

• Ensure Transparency and Public Accountability: Publish trial data, funding details, and impact assessments of cloud seeding publicly. 

Source: The Hindu