Delhi’s Futile Rain Gamble

The INR 320 crore drive to bring artificial rain in Delhi by cloud seeding with an aim to clean its polluted air was a non-starter from the very beginning, as the national capital’s dry and low humidity, among other conditions, seemed certain to obstruct the process from being successful. Thus, it is quite perplexing what prompted the Delhi government to go for such an experiment despite knowing that the conditions were not conducive to curbing the record post-Diwali air pollution spike in the capital and adjoining areas. Furthermore, the experiment of creating artificial rain elsewhere in the country and outside was not very encouraging, as the process had failed to bring any respite to the drought-affected areas of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. On the other hand, countries like China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), among others, had received very limited or no success in bringing rain artificially. So, from the very outset, there was a question mark over its success and the spending of such a large amount from the state exchequer. Already, the Delhi government is facing criticism for indulging in unnecessary expenditure rather than using the funds judiciously.

Over the years, Delhi’s air pollution has turned into a serious problem, causing all sorts of difficulties for citizens and thousands of visitors who come to the capital for various purposes. Pulmonary and other related diseases have become common in Delhi these days. A recent report has claimed that the post-Diwali spike in pollution has left at least one member from each family suffering from cough and cold, breathing problems, etc., putting the city’s medical services under severe strain. Both government and private hospitals combined have neither sufficient infrastructure nor enough doctors to treat such a huge number of patients. Already, there are reports that some families have started leaving Delhi to avoid such health hazards, as no relief from polluted air is in sight.

Perhaps the people who are deserting the city are doing the right thing, as for more than a decade now, the Delhi government has been found ineffective in tackling such a severe threat. There is nothing wrong in solving crisis situations with the help of the latest technologies, but at the same time, efforts should also be made to tackle the problem from the roots. In this case, the Delhi government showed keenness to experiment with various technologies rather than addressing the root cause, without realising that as long as the real issues remain unaddressed, no amount of artificial rain will be able to bring respite to the city. For instance, once regarded as the most polluted city in the world, the Chinese capital, Beijing, today is known for its clean air. This remarkable feat has been achieved through various means like curbing both vehicular and industrial pollution, taking effective measures for clean construction activity, etc. Thus, the solution is simple: to make a turnaround like Beijing, Delhi will have to plug all pollutant sources to start with. Any leniency shown in this respect will foil every attempt to clean Delhi’s polluted air.