As Delhi-NCR again battles hazardous levels of air pollution, the Delhi government has introduced a series of measures to deal with the crisis. With the AQI hovering at over 450 in most of the areas, the situation has triggered the Graded Response Action Plan Stage the toughest level of intervention for pollution control.

To tackle pollution, the Delhi government announced today that 50% of its employees will work from home from now on. Environment Minister Gopal Rai said, “To reduce pollution, the Delhi government has decided to work from home in government offices. 50% of employees will work from home. For its implementation, a meeting will be held with officials at 1 pm today in the Secretariat.”

Moreover, the government has recently introduced rotational office timings for all of its departments and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to ease congestion and pollution caused by traffic.

To alleviate vehicular pollution, the government has banned:

  • BS-IV and older diesel medium and heavy goods vehicles (MGVs and HGVs), except those providing essential services.
  • BS-III petrol vehicles.

This ban is towards the reduction of hazardous pollutants emitted from older engines.

Classes 10 to 12 have been suspended temporarily so that students avoid the effects of polluted air for a longer time. This decision follows the earlier steps taken to shield vulnerable groups, especially children, from the adverse effects of poor air quality.

Cloud seeding project

Last year, the Delhi government, in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, explored cloud seeding as an emergency solution to combat smog. Although preparations for this year's operations began in August, the final meeting to initiate the process hasn't yet taken place.

What is it and how does it work? 

Cloud seeding, another weather modification technique known as artificial rain, is now being considered to help mitigate air pollution in Delhi. According to science, it is a method of stimulating rainfall that might help clear the pollutants in the air for some time.

Cloud seeding refers to the injection of materials such as silver iodide, potassium iodide, or dry ice into clouds. These latter substances serve as nuclei, enhancing the possibility of water droplets condensing onto them and eventually falling as precipitation or snow. The practice can be carried out with the help of aircraft, ground-based generators, or rockets.

Why use cloud seeding against pollution?

In places like Delhi, where pollution levels become hazardous, cloud seeding is considered a way to "wash away" particulate matter from the air. The conjecture is that increased rainfall can settle dust, smog, and other airborne poisons, representing a temporary alleviation in air quality.

Cost of cloud seeding?

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur has placed before the Delhi government a cloud seeding project and estimated a cost of around Rs 1 lakh per square kilometer. The preparations have started for the project this year, but no last meeting is held to initiate the project.

As the crisis intensifies, authorities urge people to show compliance with bans and use private vehicles less as collective efforts to tackle the alarming pollution levels.