Delhi To Begin Artificial Rain Project This Week As Air Quality Plummets After Diwali Firecrackers
The Delhi government is preparing to carry out the much-awaited artificial rain through cloud seeding this week, as air quality in the national capital worsened sharply following Diwali celebrations. The move comes as part of the government’s promise to tackle pollution and improve air quality for residents.
Rekha Gupta-led Delhi government, which took office in February with a pledge to provide cleaner air, is expecting a go-ahead from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) between October 24 and 26. Weather experts have indicated that conditions during this period are likely to be favourable for the first cloud seeding experiment in Delhi.
Delhi’s Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa confirmed that the first trial of artificial rain will be conducted right after Diwali once the IMD grants its final approval.
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“Pilots have already completed trial flights over the area where the cloud seeding operation will take place. The entire setup is ready, from permissions to pilot training. The aircraft are fully equipped with cloud seeding instruments, and the crew has been trained and familiarised with the target region. We are just waiting for IMD’s approval,” Sirsa said during a media briefing last week.
Initially, the cloud seeding project was supposed to be launched in July, but it was delayed due to changing weather patterns, disturbances, and the absence of suitable cloud cover during the monsoon. It was later scheduled to take place before Diwali, but it got postponed again.
Residents of Delhi woke up on Tuesday morning to a thick layer of grey haze and reduced visibility, as air quality dipped to the ‘very poor’ category following widespread bursting of firecrackers on Diwali night.
According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 359 at 11 am — firmly in the ‘very poor’ range. The AQI was 352 at 8 am, 351 at 7 am, 347 at 6 am, and 346 at 5 am.
An AQI between 301 and 400 is considered ‘very poor’, while 401 to 500 falls under the ‘severe’ category. Out of 38 monitoring stations in Delhi, 35 recorded air quality in the red zone, with 31 stations showing ‘very poor’ levels and four reporting ‘severe’ pollution.
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Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI on Monday, measured at 4 pm, was 345, indicating that the situation worsened overnight due to fireworks. Experts have warned that the air quality could slip into the ‘severe’ category by Wednesday if weather conditions remain stagnant.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court allowed the use of green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR between 8 pm and 10 pm on Diwali. The court had restricted their use to specific hours — from 6 am to 7 pm on the day before Diwali and 8 am to 10 pm on Diwali night.
However, residents were seen bursting fireworks well past midnight, violating the court’s order. Despite a blanket ban on the manufacture, sale, and use of conventional firecrackers, loud bursts continued across several parts of the city.
