Explained: What is Artificial Rain and How it Works to Improve Air Quality?

Delhi has been witnessing high levels of pollution with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 434 on Thursday, November 9 2023. 

Source: IQ Air

In a bid to reduce the pollution in the city, Environment Minister Gopal Rai met with a team from IIT Kanpur on November 8, 2023, to discuss the possibility of introducing artificial rain to the city.

Minister Rai said that the IIT Kanpur team has proposed a plan for artificial rainfall in Delhi through cloud seeding. He also informed that Delhi might experience artificial rainfall on November 20-21 if the skies of the city remain cloudy.

#WATCH | Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai says, "A meeting with the IIT Kanpur team was held today regarding the possibility of cloud seeding i.e., artificial rain in wake of pollution situation... This proposal was first presented by IIT Kanpur in that meeting...In today's… https://t.co/zosnw8k2d1 pic.twitter.com/IYfBpc4yDk

— ANI (@ANI) November 8, 2023

What Is Artificial Rain? 

Artificial rain is also known as cloud seeding and it is a weather modification technique that aims to stimulate precipitation. This is done by introducing different substances into clouds that further promote the formation of raindrops or snowflakes. Cloud seeding is used to increase rainfall in areas that are experiencing drought, to suppress hail storms, and to disperse fog.

The Prevention Web mentions: “With cloud seeding, small particles of silver iodide, a salt with a crystalline structure similar to that of ice, are added to clouds. This process can be performed either from a plane or drone, or particles can be shot up from the ground.”

“The method allows the water vapor inside clouds to be "tricked" into forming droplets around the silver iodide particles, Jose Miguel Vinas, a meteorologist with Meteored, a Spanish company that runs weather websites in several countries, told DW,” it adds.

How Artificial Rain Works to Improve Air Quality? 

• Washes away pollutants in the air: Artificial rain can wash away pollutants that are suspended in the air, such as particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur dioxide (SO2). These pollutants can cause a variety of health problems, including respiratory infections, heart disease, and cancer.
• Increases humidity: Artificial rain can increase the humidity in the air. Humidity can help to trap pollutants and prevent them from dispersing. This can lead to a decrease in air pollution levels.
• Reduces dust and other particulates: Artificial rain can help to reduce the amount of dust and other particulates in the air. Dust and other particulates can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat, and can also aggravate asthma and other respiratory conditions.

In addition to these direct effects, artificial rain can also have indirect effects on air quality. For example, artificial rain can help to improve water quality, which can lead to a decrease in air pollution from sources such as sewage treatment plants and industrial facilities. Artificial rain can also help to improve vegetation growth, which can help to absorb pollutants from the air.