New Delhi, Nov 12:
With thick toxic smog continuing to blanket the national capital following Deepavali celebrations, authorities are gearing up for a fresh round of cloud seeding to induce artificial rain and wash away hazardous airborne pollutants.
A specialized Beechcraft 200 aircraft—capable of operating at altitudes of up to 25,000 feet—has been positioned on standby in coordination with the Delhi government, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), IIT Kanpur, and aviation weather firm Khyati Climate. While initial seeding runs were deferred due to inadequate cloud cover, meteorologists indicated that an approaching western disturbance could create favourable moisture conditions over the next two to three days.
Air quality across the capital deteriorated sharply after Deepavali firecracker emissions compounded existing vehicular, industrial, and stubble-burning pollution, pushing the Air Quality Index (AQI) into the ‘severe’ category above 400 at multiple monitoring stations. Meanwhile, environmental experts and an IIT Delhi study cautioned that cloud seeding remains a high-cost, temporary emergency measure dependent on strict atmospheric conditions, stressing that sustained source-level emission reductions are essential for lasting relief.