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Delhi Readies for Artificial Rain as Pollution Persists
15 Oct
Summary
- Pilot training for cloud seeding completed in Delhi
- Supreme Court allows green crackers for Diwali amid pollution concerns
- Delhi's air pollution reduces life expectancy by 11.9 years
As of October 15, 2025, the Delhi government has announced that it has completed pilot training for cloud seeding, a process of inducing rainfall by dispersing substances into the atmosphere. If the weather conditions are suitable in the next two to three days, the government plans to conduct the cloud seeding exercise for three hours, with the approval of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
This development comes a day after the Commission for Air Quality Management enforced curbs under the first phase of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-1) in Delhi, as the air quality index (AQI) crossed 200. The implementation of GRAP, even a week before Diwali, is an early indication of the severe air pollution levels expected in the national capital during the upcoming winter season.
Amid these efforts to address Delhi's air pollution, the Supreme Court has given the go-ahead for the sale and use of green crackers on Diwali, attempting to strike a balance between managing pollution and allowing people to celebrate the festival. The cloud seeding, GRAP, and green crackers decisions are all part of the broader goal to curtail pollution in Delhi.
According to the analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment, Delhi remained India's most polluted megacity by a wide margin during the 2024-25 winter, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 175 micrograms per cubic metre. This air pollution is reducing the life expectancy of Delhi's citizens by an average of 11.9 years compared to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) guidelines, as per a report by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC).
