Cloud Seeding: Delhi Minister Urges Fast-Track Approval for Artificial Rain to Combat Pollution | Delhi News

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai NEW DELHI: Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Thursday requested the Union environment minister to fast-track clearances for cloud seeding or artificial rain.
Rai said Delhi govt was prepared to do the cloud seeding to combat pollution but needed clearances from central departments.
Cloud seeding is a weather modification technology designed to help create rain artificially.Artificial rain is one of the 21 focus points of Delhi govt’s winter action plan.
Rai said there had already been a delay of about 1 month in the efforts for cloud seeding.
Considering that the air quality in Delhi is likely to turn hazardous at the beginning of Nov, he asked the Union minister to immediately call meetings with all relevant stakeholders. This includes representatives from the ministry of environment, forest and climate change, Delhi govt, and other agencies that are supposed to issue the NOCs.
In his letter to Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav, Rai wrote about Delhi’s air quality during the winter months, particularly after Diwali, when smog and environmental degradation lead to hazardous air pollution levels. He urged the consideration for cloud seeding as an emergency step. “Delhi previously explored cloud seeding as an emergency measure to artificially induce rain and reduce air pollution during such critical periods and noticed that prior clearances from various agencies are required to implement the same,” he said.
Rai mentioned that Delhi govt attempted to consider cloud seeding as an emergency measure last winter during the days when air quality was hazardous. A presentation was also made by IT Kanpur in this regard and was shared with Yadav on Aug 30, he said.

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