Delhi Government’s Rs 3.2 Crore Cloud-Seeding Experiment Fails to Alleviate Smog

Delhi's Rs 3.20-crore cloud-seeding initiative aimed at combating the capital's severe air pollution has failed to produce meaningful rainfall, leading experts to criticize it as an expensive and temporary measure. The operation, conducted under a partnership with IIT-Kanpur, involved dispersing silver iodide into clouds but was hindered by Delhi's dry skies and low humidity, conditions unsuitable for effective cloud seeding. Experts argue that even if artificial rainfall occurs, it only temporarily reduces pollution levels, which rebound shortly after, and emphasize that sustainable air quality improvement requires reducing emissions at the source through better management of vehicular pollution, construction dust, and crop residue burning. The experiment has sparked political debate, but critics warn against treating pollution control as a performance act rather than a policy-driven effort. They call for scientific rigor, coordinated action between agencies, and long-term investments focused on emission reductions rather than costly gimmicks. Delhi's experience highlights the importance of grounding pollution mitigation strategies in science rather than optics or political motives.