Delhi govt to explore cloud seeding to check air pollution in winter: Environment Minister

New Delhi: In a bid to mitigate air pollution in the national capital during winter, the Delhi government is mulling over the use of cloud seeding technology to induce artificial rain, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Tuesday.

Rai added that the government is preparing a separate action plan for each of the air pollution hotspots in the city. Rai's announcement came after his meeting with 24 environmental experts to discuss the 'Winter Action Plan' where scientists from IIT-Kanpur gave a presentation on inducing artificial rain in Delhi.

At this meeting, suggestions were also taken from 24 members and researchers from the Council for Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), and Environmental Defense Fund, among others.

"The experts brainstormed ways to reduce vehicular pollution, dust pollution, biomass burning, and other kinds of pollution. Scientists from IIT-Kanpur gave a presentation on inducing artificial rain in Delhi and the costs involved. We have requested them to prepare a detailed presentation which will be shown to the chief minister. We will certainly consider this idea," Rai said.

Experts have, earlier as well, submitted similar proposals on artificial rain to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, he added.

The minister said the experts have also suggested preparing a separate winter action for the air pollution hotspots to deal with their respective pollution sources. The pollution hotspots in Delhi are located at Anand Vihar, Wazirabad, Vivek Vihar, Wazirpur, Ashok Vihar, Dwarka, Jahangirpuri, Rohini, Bawana, Narela, Mundka, Punjabi Bagh, RK Puram and Okhla Phase 2. PTI GVS RPA