Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai wrote to Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav on Thursday requesting him to fast-track clearance for the process of cloud seeding to induce artificial rain.

The Delhi government is considering the use of the cloud seeding technique as an emergency measure to combat air pollution in the national capital during this critical period.

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Rai urged the Union environment minister to immediately convene meetings with all stakeholders, including representatives from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and other concerned agencies supposed to issue No Objection Certificates (NOC).

“We have already had a delay of approximately one month in our efforts to experiment with cloud seeding in Delhi and considering the air quality of Delhi which is likely to turn hazardous at the beginning of November, I, once again, request you to immediately convene meetings with all relevant stakeholders,” the Delhi minister wrote in his letter.

“This is to remind you of the concerns raised regarding Delhi’s air quality during the winter months, particularly after Diwali, when smog and environmental degradation lead to hazardous air pollution levels and to consider cloud seeding as an emergency measure,” he added.

Rai also mentioned that the Delhi government had previously explored cloud seeding as an emergency measure to artificially induce rain and reduce air pollution during such critical periods and noticed that prior clearances from various agencies are required to implement it.

He recalled that in 2023, a presentation was made by IIT Kanpur regarding cloud seeding and artificial rain.

On Wednesday, the minister said as part of the Delhi government’s 21-point Winter Action Plan to curb air pollution, 523 teams from 13 different departments have been deployed to inspect construction sites across the city and monitor the situation on the ground.