Rai was quoted by news agency ANI as saying that if certain parameters related to cloud conditions are met on November 20-21, then a pilot project related to artificial rains can be executed.

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But, what is cloud seeding?

Cloud seeding is the process of artificially generating rain. The process involves implanting clouds with particles such as silver iodide crystals, potassium iodide and dry ice.

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These particles help in condensation of water vapor and formation of raindrops or ice crystals – leading to cloud formation and subsequent rainfall. Planes are used to spray clouds with these chemicals to condense smaller particles into larger rain droplets.

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Benefits of artificial rains

> Artificial rains help in dispersing air pollution and reducing the concentration of dust, smoke, smog, haze and chemicals

> It is one of the ways to consider to improve rainfall quantity in rain-deficit areas. According to the Desert Research Institute, “Cloud seeding is used all over the world as a method for enhancing winter snowfall and increasing mountain snowpack, supplementing the natural water supply available to communities of the surrounding area.”

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> It can benefit in agriculture process by providing moisture for crops

> Sometimes, it also helps in controlling prevailing weather conditions. “It does not just make rain; it also regulates water vapor that in turn prevents damages brought by destructive hails and storms,” according to a paper published in the International Journal of Pure and Applied Bioscience.

> It can also make dry places more livable

> It can help in putting out wildfires

Disadvantages

> For cloud seeding to be successful, suitable meteorological conditions are required. Cloud seeding requires the presence of moisture-filled clouds, which are not always available or predictable.

> It is not fool-proof. Artificial rains cannot be considered as a guaranteed solution. An IIT Kanpur professor explained that it was alike natural rains and helps in settling down suspended dust and particulate matters present in the environment. He suggested action should be instead taken on the actual sources of pollution.

> Effectiveness of cloud seeding differs from project to project

> Use of potentially harmful chemicals can affect plants. The paper says there is no substantial study done on the implications of silver iodine on the environment. However, “Silver iodine may cause ― iodism, a type of iodine poisoning where the patient exhibits running nose, headache, skin rash, anemia, and diarrhea, among others,” it added.

> According to several reports, artificial rains might eventually change climatic patterns. “If not regulated or controlled properly, cloud seeding may cause undesirable, if not altogether, destructive weather conditions such as flooding, storms, hail risks, etc,” the paper said.

Explaining further, it said that places that naturally receive less rainfall or no rain at all, “usually do not have the infrastructure to handle so much precipitation”. Therefore, with cloud seeding, these areas may become flooded quickly, “causing more harm than good”, it added.

> The process to generate artificial rains is very expensive

However, the risks or concerns of cloud seeding “may just not be bad enough”.

A research by Alan Robock, from the Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA, discussed the benefits and risks of cloud seeding.

In the summary, he said, “…Risks or concerns like unwanted ecological changes, ozone depletion, continued ocean acidification, erratic changes in rainfall patterns, rapid warming if seeding were to be stopped abruptly, airplane effects, to name a few, may just not be bad enough to override the imperative to keep temperatures down.

How much does the artificial rain process cost

An IIT-Kanpur team informed the Delhi government that the estimated cost of the project will be around ₹1 lakh per square kilometre, news agency PTI reported.

The team recommended that a pilot cloud seeding initiative covering 300 square kilometres may be carried out immediately in the first phase, given the air pollution emergency prevailing in Delhi, officials told PTI.

Earlier, the Delhi government had, in principle agreed, to bear the cost of phase 1 and phase 2 pilots (totaling ₹13 crore) for carrying out artificial rain, a government official was quoted as saying by PTI.

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Updated: 13 Nov 2023, 09:26 PM IST