India Closes Schools Due to Suffocating Smog, Artificial Rain to Clear the Air

The city of New Delhi, India, shrouded in severe smog on November 8/AP Yonhap News

New Delhi, India’s capital, suffering from severe smog and air pollution, is considering inducing artificial rain after closing schools and restricting vehicle operations.

According to Reuters on the 9th, Indian authorities revealed for the first time that they plan to induce artificial rain to improve the air quality in New Delhi, which is suffering from severe smog.

Minister of Environment for Delhi, Gopal Rai, said, “Depending on legal approval and weather conditions, we will induce rain from around the 20th.” He added, “If the current weather conditions persist, the air pollution situation will continue until some point this week or in the future,” and “A report from experts on the plan to induce artificial rain will be submitted to the Supreme Court on Friday.”

The Delhi environmental authorities planned to conduct artificial rain operations using technology that induces rain using substances like silver iodide (Agl). If such chemicals, used as ‘cloud seeds,’ are sprayed into the clouds, it attempts a technology that grows water molecules, condenses water vapor, and causes rain.

New Delhi, with a population of over 20 million, carries the notorious title of ‘the most polluted city in the world.’ The air quality becomes seriously polluted as the remaining crop stubble is burned after harvesting crops from October to early November before winter. The smog phenomenon worsens, and the air quality rapidly deteriorates when dust from vehicles, factories, and construction meets the cold air.

Recently, the air quality index of New Delhi reached the ‘severe’ level, the worst, reaching dozens of times the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended standard. Elementary schools have already closed due to the toxic smog, and the authorities have also ordered all public and private schools to close until the 18th, pulling forward the winter vacation scheduled from January 9th. Last week, as the air quality deteriorated, the Supreme Court ordered farmers in the nearby states to stop burning agricultural waste such as crop stubble.

The authorities plan to implement an odd-even vehicle restriction for a week from the 13th and prohibit freight vehicles from entering the city center unless it’s an emergency.

By. Jeong Rina