Raining Hope or Risk? Delhi Government’s Ambitious ₹3 Crore Bet on Artificial Rain
India’s capital city Delhi is suffering from severe pollution levels in the state. The Delhi government is taking all the necessary actions to reduce the pollution but the results are not as expected and now looking for alternative ways. The IIT KANPUR has come up with a solution for the cloud seeding method which is going to be implemented by the Delhi government. This article is about “Artificial Rain” and how it works with its implementation.
What is Artificial Rain:
Cloud seeding is an artificial method used to increase rainfall by introducing chemical substances into the cloud that help in various situations. During this process, chemicals of potassium iodide, silver iodide, and dry ice are introduced into clouds through jets or helicopters which attracts water vapor giving a high chance of rain. To implement this method we need to have 40% of clouds over the region. This plan was presented to the Delhi government and after the check, it will be sent to the Supreme Court for approval to create artificial rain. If it gets approved then how much it is going to cost to create this rain for the Delhi government?
Cost Of Artificial Rain:
Since the pollution is high it takes more time for cloud seeding to get the required amount of rain which costs around 3 Crores Per Flight. There are several factors to consider while pricing this artificial rain. Parameters like moisture in the air, amount of clouds, wind patterns, etc., along with flight charges associated with equipment and time for completing the process. Even though the Delhi government is spending 3 Crores on this project once approved it is a temporary solution for just months. After the successful completion, the rainfall reduces the toxic substances in the air leading to better air quality to breathe.
Artificial Rain Implementation In Other Countries:
Artificial Rain has already been implemented in many countries like China, the USA, and South Africa. In 2017 china proposed cloud seeing over the Uttar Pradesh region but the court denied permissions as they hid the details so it was up to IIT KANPUR to develop and give a presentation on June 26th, 2017 to the government and proceeded further
Issues faced by IIT Kanpur:
the main problem faced by IIT Kanpur was not having the plane that needed to take operations. At first, they asked for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) craft which is left over but they did not show interest.
Later it was Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) who asked for funds for flight but the budget was enough only to take the project then it was IIT’s own spacecraft CESSNA came in touch with US-based Cessna company for assistance on-board but due to COVID pandemic this was also put on hold and now finally it is ready for flight and just need to take necessary permissions for cloud seeding by IIT KANPUR. Now if this gets implemented what are the adverse effects on the environment?
Effects On The Environment?:
This process will not show any effects on the environment as the chemicals used for cloud seeding are not harmful. In June 2023 they conducted a trial run for this project and that was a successful attempt, with this inspiration the IIT Kanpur introduced this artificial rain concept by cloud seeding to the Delhi government which was looking for methods to reduce air pollution in the state. If everything goes well by Supreme Court orders we can see a full-fledged artificial rain on 2023 November 20th and 21st. This process can be implemented in draught areas, rainfall in required regions, and for others benefits getting from rainfall
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