Chaitanya, from New Delhi, wears a mask on his face when he cycles, out of fear of being affected by the pollution:
”I hope the government does something instead of just blaming others,” he told Reuters.
New Delhi is often described as the world’s most polluted capital and the dense smog has been covering the city for a week.
”In northern India, high pressure and dry weather dominate. In connection with the high pressure, the air is very little mixed and in large cities, particles from traffic, industry, and construction dust accumulate in the air. Due to air pollution, the air quality deteriorates significantly,” said SVT’s meteorologist Deana Bajic, who has previously worked with cloud seeding.
Weather manipulation used for various purposes
Schools have been closed, construction work has been halted, and vehicle traffic has been restricted. The measures – combined with cloud seeding – are hoped to address the acute problem. The method involves manipulating precipitation to pull smog particles in the air towards the ground.
This is the first time that New Delhi is testing this weather technology, which has been used by other countries for many years, such as China, the USA, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Cloud seeding has been used for various purposes, such as improving agricultural conditions or controlling weather conditions during major sports events.
”The process is complex and requires special atmospheric conditions, and it is also very expensive,” said SVT’s meteorologist Deana Bajic about the chances of New Delhi successfully clearing the air by manipulating rain.
