Overview
- Delhi authorities, partnering with IIT Kanpur, conducted aircraft cloud seeding over parts of the city, but officials reported only scant rainfall due to thin cloud cover.
- A day after the latest sortie, PM2.5 reached 323—over 20 times the WHO daily limit—indicating no measurable improvement in hazardous air quality.
- Local media put government spending on the trials at about $364,000, prompting questions over value compared with proven pollution controls.
- Scientists note cloud seeding requires existing moisture and may merely shift where condensation occurs, with any cleansing effect likely to vanish once rain stops.
- The U.S. EPA cites limited studies suggesting silver iodide poses little risk, yet says impacts from broader use remain unknown, as BJP officials frame the effort as part of a research process.